Lin Kuei of Thrones
by VFSNAKE
Summary: Takes place following MK X and arguably during MK 11. Raiden has become dark and paranoid. He now sees the Lin Kuei led by Sub-Zero as a threat and tries to remove him. Only for their fight to open an unstable portal to a realm where Sub-Zero falls into Westeros. Set several years before Robert's Rebellion. How will the Lin Kuei Grandmaster handle being in the Game of Thrones.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-Game Changer

Sub-Zero, also known to a select few as Kuai Liang was sent flying back by the blast of lightning Raiden had struck him with mere seconds ago. All around the two, fighting had broken out at the Lin Kuei training compound, and could go either way right now on who would be the victor.

As to why this was happening, Raiden had become darker since the defeat of the Fallen Elder God, Shinnok, and begun making plans to strike at different threats in pre-emptive strikes. At first, Sub-Zero had no problem with that, given how Earthrealm had plenty of threats, and seemed practical to hit them first before they could strike. The Netherrealm, Outworld, and even the Realm of Chaos were just a few on the list of places that could be a threat to their own.

But things changed when Raiden attacked other realms. Realms that were neither a threat nor could be in the years to come. Realms with no strategic value or resource. As such, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster refused to provide aid on such campaigns when they did little in the way of defending Earthrealm.

Naturally, Raiden took offense to his refusal before enough was enough in his mind. The Thunder God had decided the Lin Kuei was in need of new management and a brand new leader capable of listening and obeying him.

So who better than Sub-Zero's own fellow cryomancer and pupil, Frost. She had always been ambitious. Never fully agreeing with the way Sub-Zero did things, even if the end result proved to be the most beneficial in the end. She had rallied supporters to claim the right of becoming the new Grandmaster to oppose him and Raiden had seen this as a key moment to assist Frost in replacing Sub-Zero.

Hence the battle around them.

"You have defied me for the last time Sub-Zero. I will see to it that nothing of your soul remains. Just like with your brother!" stated Raiden before attacking Sub-Zero with more lightning at the cryomancer, who used his Ice Coffin technique to avoid it.

"I have defied you because your actions are wrong! You invade and attack worlds that will never be a threat to us. You create enemies from other realms and fan the flames of war with those who we should never have attacked!" exclaimed Sub-Zero from behind Raiden and use his frost sliding skill to ram his fist into the Thunder God's back.

"You know nothing of what I have seen! Of the enemies that will come forth from the darkness to attack Earthrealm. Only by striking them down now will the darkness and threats to our realm be extinguished!" countered Raiden before engaging Sub-Zero in close combat.

"And have those terrifying visions of yours slowly vanished since starting your path of destruction? If anything, you are creating the very threats you claim will attack us. You are creating a self fulfilling prophecy!" Sub-Zero shot back and hit Raiden with a fierce uppercut, but the saw it did little in the way of defeating the Thunder God.

"Be silent! I have tolerated your insolence for as long as possible. Your chosen successor will see to it that the Lin Kuei Clan flourishes under her command and my steady hand to guide their direction," said Raiden before launching more lightning at the ice user.

"And you think Frost will obey you? She will only serve your interest until another, more powerful being comes along to provide far greater rewards. My traitorous student will betray you just like she did me. In the end, Frost's ambitions will destroy the clan and be your downfall in the battles yet to come," said Sub-Zero knowing Frost would never be loyal to Raiden and it was only a matter of time before the female cryomancer switched sides to join a more powerful individual.

Even if Raiden was a God, there were entities out there who could rival him. Hell, Shao Kahn had rivaled him _AND_ the Elder Gods at one point. Who was to say there weren't more powerful entities out there waiting to take a shot at Raiden when the opportunity arose?

"If and when she betrays me, Frost will learn what it is means to suffer by my hands for such treachery. The same cannot be said for you," said Raiden while he continued to blast Sub-Zero with lightning.

"To think you would fall so low. The great protector of Earthrealm, reduced to this. One consumed by madness and paranoia. You are not worthy of your position. Not anymore," said Sub-Zero while his words seemed to infuriate Raiden even further.

"ENOUGH! Time to send your soul into the abyss where it belongs!" exclaimed Raiden while Sub-Zero glared defiantly at him as the Thunder God planned to hit him with the strongest blast of lightning yet.

"You first," said Sub-Zero before his body froze and shattered to reveal it to be an ice clone.

"What?!" exclaimed Raiden before a sword of ice pierced him from behind.

"For a God who sees everything, you could not see this," commented Sub-Zero while he twisted the blade.

"Wretched assassin! I will burn the flesh from your bones!" stated Raiden, who broke out of Sub-Zero's grip, spun around, and grabbed the Grandmaster's neck before hitting him an intense amount of lightning.

As such, neither opponent were seeing how the Dragon Amulet, Raiden's Amulet, and Shinnok's Amulet began to show signs of resonating. It was only when the glowing from all three amulets became too bright to ignore did both Raiden and Sub-Zero look on in horror at what was happening.

In an act of last minute survival, Sub-Zero blasted Raiden with his ice powers while the Thunder God had done the same with his lightning to the Lin Kuei. The end result sent both warrior back, but the explosion had created an unstable portal that was drawing all things into it. Since Sub-Zero's attack was more solid, the impact of the ice blast had sent Raiden further away.

As for Sub-Zero, he was thrown back by the lightning from the Thunder God, but not as far from the unstable portal. In his weakened state from Raiden's attack, the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei was unable to fight against the vacuum strength the portal was generating at the time, and was sucked right into the instability to only the Elder Gods knows where before it shut down completely.

As for Raiden, he narrowed his lightning exhibiting eyes when it was done. Angry and frustrated, the Thunder God left a flash of lightning to let the Lin Kuei deal with their internal civil war with each other. With Sub-Zero gone, Frost would most likely take over as the new leader of the clan and be used by him until her use was at an end. If not? The Thunder God would ensure what was left did not pose a threat to his campaigns against the other realms.

(With Sub-Zero)

The man felt himself being torn apart while in the unstable portal. His throat long since going silent despite the urge to scream out in pain for what felt like days in the vortex of energy. At the same time, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster felt his body changing internally from the over abundance of energy the portal was hitting him with. After what felt like an eternity in this Hell, Sub-Zero found himself leaving the portal for the ground beneath him upon his exit.

Barely conscious, Sub-Zero tried to look around with what limited vision was available to him at the time. From what the Grandmaster could surmise, it was dark out. The middle of the night perhaps? He also heard the faint sound of shouting. Someone was nearby and heard him fall to the ground and alerting others of his arrival.

With that last thought running through his head, Sub-Zero's mind fell fully into the land of unconsciousness while praying those who found him were civilized.

(Sometime Later)

When Sub-Zero awoke, he sensed several things were off. Namely, his Lin Kuei mask. Upon closer inspection of himself, his armor and clothing in general had been removed. He was wearing some other form of clothing unfamiliar to him, but considering his room was a standard room and not some kind of jail cell, the Lin Kuei warrior wasn't going to complain. His bed was a single one, meant for one person. His lower body was covered in sheets and animal fur.

"I see you are awake," said a man to the right of the bed, which now caught Sub-Zero's attention.

"Yes. Thank you for attending to my injuries. I did not mean to intrude on your home uninvited," said Sub-Zero while noting the man spoke English, but was not wearing modern Earthrealm attire.

If anything, Sub-Zero was thinking he had found himself in a realm going through the medieval era Earth did centuries ago.

"My name is Rickard Stark. Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. May I have your name stranger?" asked Rickard Stark while he saw their surprised guest looking around the room in disbelief.

"My name is Kuai Liang. I am...new to this world and its ways. A stranger in unknown land," replied Sub-Zero since he was sure his Lin Kuei codename would only make this meeting awkward.

"How did you arrive at Winterfell?" asked Rickard while Sub-Zero let out a long breath and began to compose his thoughts.

"I honestly do not know. I do not know where I am outside of this room or Winterfell in general," said Sub-Zero while the man next to Rickard scowled.

"There is something off about him my Lord. Perhaps we should try... _harsher_ means of questioning," whispered the young man named Rodrik with a hand on his sword to Lord Stark.

"No. This man has been through a great deal this his arrival if the injuries our Maester reported while treating his wounds. For the moment, he is our guest. And as men of honor here in the North, violating guest rights is a sin no House can escape from. And as a Stark, I will not be the one to do such a thing," said Rickard to Rodrik with the younger man nodding though it was clear it wasn't a decision he liked.

"We had to remove your armor and clothing for your injuries to be attended. You will most likely be sore since not all of the wounds could be treated right away," said Rickard while Sub-Zero moved slowly to the edge of the bed before checking himself underneath the sheets to see he was wearing medieval version of underwear.

Breeches if he recalled correctly was the English term.

"Time will heal my wounds. However, I cannot remain in this bed or else I will become weak from inactivity," said Sub-Zero with Rickard nodding.

"I understand. I will have new clothing brought to you and your initial clothing as well as armor from earlier returned shortly when it has been cleaned," said Rickard while Sub-Zero nodded.

"Thank you Lord Stark. Know that this generous hospitality will not be forgotten," said Sub-Zero knowing he could have easily been chained down, tortured for information, or some other horrible things if his hosts were crueler individuals.

"You are welcome Kuai Liang. I have some business to attend to right now, but I will leave my trusted knight Ser Rodrik to assist you in adjusting to being here," said Rickard while Sub-Zero nodded and saw the Lord of Winterfell leave the room.

"You strike me as an honest man despite being a foreigner from a different land Kuai Liang. But do know this, should you betray the North, Lord Stark, or any of his progeny and I will slay you with my own two hands," warned Ser Rodrik with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I understand and respect the warning. Know that I have no intention of betraying Lord Stark. He is a good and honest man. Where I am from, they are a rare breed," said Sub-Zero with Rodrik smirking at him.

"We might get along just fine," said Rodrik before a knock came from the door and was opened to reveal the servant enter with the clothing for Kuai Liang to wear.

(Winterfell Courtyard-Sometime Later)

Kuai Liang was not bothered by the cold. He loved it. Thrived on it. Being a cryomancer by birth and bloodline helped in that regard. In fact, it was one of the reason his Lin Kuei training compound was located high in mountain in the deep regions of China where the winters had been known to be brutal and cruel. It helped his members of the clan build up a strong tolerance for uncomfortable weather, tolerance for pain, and could be used as a natural defense against attacks.

Not to mention the cryomancer felt the brutal cold was soothing to his own body and he theorized it had recuperating powers for someone like himself.

Naturally, Sub-Zero got quite a few odd stares from the people of Winterfell. The various servants, the blacksmiths, and the bannermen of House Stark. The scar on his face that went down his one eye was clearly the more noticeable features on his face. Some of the women around him did blush though due to his unique, yet strong facial features, and the lean muscle his clothing apparently did not hide. Even Rodrik, who was no slouch in any regard for having muscles, was surprised the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had such a powerful body.

As for Sub-Zero, he was currently analyzing his surroundings and what this meant for him as a whole in this new realm. This new world. It was clear that the unstable portal had sent him to a realm where Raiden could not touch him. For all the Thunder God knew, Sub-Zero was dead in another realm somewhere, and the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had no problem with that. Besides, the portal to this realm had been unstable at best, and Sub-Zero was sure Raiden had no means of getting to him due to the instability of the portal itself.

Meaning Raiden could not get to this realm (short of aid from the Elder Gods), but at the same time, Sub-Zero could not leave it either. Not that he really wished to leave it right now since this realm involved a world where man was less advanced, yet worked hard for everything they did.

As more simpler, yet still harsh times where one had to put all their efforts for something and not let technology take the brunt of it.

He could honestly get use to this. The Lin Kuei had thrived during those ancient times, even when Earthrealm advanced technologically over the years.

"So...what were you before falling into my Lord's castle?" asked Rodrik curiously in the hopes of learning more about this strange guest.

"Complicated. I was a man of many skills. Skills of death to be more precise," said Sub-Zero calmly since he saw no reason to hide it from Rodrik due to lack of trust would result in lack of trust from Lord Stark.

"So you are a warrior of some kind," surmised Rodrik with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes. Though a portion of my skills are more along the lines with assassins and spies," replied Sub-Zero with Rodrik scowling.

"Dishonorable ways of killing," said Rodrik since he never liked those who moved in the shadows and struck from the darkness.

"Its a matter of perspective Ser Rodrik. My skills helped weaken powerful enemies and gave my allies the edge needed to win battles they could not without my assistance," said Sub-Zero with Rodrik still not liking it, but kept his judgment on the issue to himself for now.

"And your skills in combat?" asked Rodrik while wondering if the man was only good a fighting or lurking in the shadows or was actually useful in open combat.

"Honed from years of practice and life experience. I prefer to be well rounded in what I do so one aspect is not considered weaker when compared to the other skills I possess," said Sub-Zero while Rodrik nodded in understanding.

"I will keep that in mind. Maybe you wish to train some of our men on how to fight or to give them a sample of your experiences," said Rodrik while wondering just how this man fought others.

"Possibly. I am curious how you and the others would fare against me in combat," said Sub-Zero since he was certain that these men who fought for House Stark did not have any kind of "fighting style" and would just act like brawlers trying to overpower their opponents.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to have students again. At least to some degree.

"I will discuss it with Lord Stark. He will be most interested in your skills as well," said Rodrik with Sub-Zero nodding since he suspected as much.

Their conversation was soon interrupted when a scream from the courtyard caught their attention when a woman was kneeling on the ground in front of a large boy. From what Sub-Zero could see and hear, the boy was yelling "hold the door!" repeatedly over and over again until the boy's word's meshed together into saying "Holdor". Both men had rushed over to the boy to see if it was possible to help him in some manner.

While Rodrik felt the boy had some kind of mental episode, Sub-Zero knew better as he saw signs of what looked like the boy was suffering from mental possession. Someone or something had possessed the boy's mind to input a command into his head so it could be used when the time was right.

As such, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster felt he should share this privately with Lord Stark in the man's solar where countless books from ancient times resided.

"Possession?" questioned Rickard Stark while Sub-Zero nodding.

"While different from what I have seen from my own experiences where I live, the signs of it are still there. His mind was attacked in some way. Before he started saying 'Holdor', the boy was clearly saying 'Hold the door', and saying it repeatedly. Clearly, whoever did this him wanted to put this command into his mind for a purpose we do not know," said Sub-Zero while Rickard looked over at Rodrik.

"While the boy did say 'Hold the door', I do not believe it was from some kind of mental possession. The boy does have giant's blood in his veins. It could be the very reason for his sudden actions and the inability to speak anything else except 'Holdor' to us," said Rodrik while Sub-Zero was not so sure.

"Sadly, we may never know. Subjects on mental possession would fall under the myths and legends ages ago. Those records are either lost, destroyed, or were altered by the Maesters at the Citadel to ensure such things never were fully understood. They felt such things were the influence of magic or related beings. Not only that, but the Maesters from the Citadel have been trying to remove any such knowledge to ensure it is never practiced by anyone," said Rickard with a sigh leaving him.

"These Maesters in this Citadel are foolish people. Destroying knowledge destroys a chance of understanding new things and denying our own ability to learn more about ourselves," commented Sub-Zero while Rickard smirked slightly.

"I'm inclined to agree with you Master Liang. Even more so when you consider what just happened in the courtyard," said Rickard while walking around in thought.

"Is there nothing we can do? Is there no treatment on record which can be used to help the boy?" asked Sub-Zero curiously.

"Not unless you know magic or someone with uses magic. Or the skills to enter the mind and heal it," said Rickard before he had a glass of wine and drank.

"It can't be magic my Lord. Magic was said to have died out with the last of the dragons," said Rodrik calmly while Sub-Zero's eyes widened slightly at this news.

"All the same, one cannot deny what happened to the boy was not normal or his giant's blood acting up. No. Something happened to him. Something possibly related to magic in some sense. Sadly, further investigation into this will have to wait. The King is hosting a tournament to celebrate his son's nameday next month. All the Wardens and High Lords of the Seven Kingdoms are expected to attend the festivities," said Rickard while he saw Rodrik grimacing and Sub-Zero frowning at seeing Rodrik's grimace.

"I do not trust the King my Lord. I have heard his mind is drifting into madness. There is a sense of unrest as a result within the Seven Kingdoms due to his mind slipping," said Rodrik with Lord Stark giving him nod in understanding since he heard those rumors too.

Though part of him was hoping that was all they were. Just rumors.

"Be as that may, not attending would be an insult. The Tyrells, Lannisters, Martells, and Baratheons will be among the major Houses there. I intend for my son Brandon to marry into House Tully and my daughter Lyanna to Robert Baratheon when they come of age. I have to meet with their parents to ensure these arrangement can be made in person," said Rickard knowing any arrangement such as this had to be made in person.

Any other way would be an insult. And House Stark would not be the one insult another powerful House first.

"If it is all right with you Lord Stark, I would like to accompany you on your trip. I wish to see more your world and what it has to offer," said Sub-Zero while Rodrik glanced in his direction with a growing frown on his face.

"Is that wise? You are a foreigner in a new land. You will not be welcomed in places and even being a guest of the North or when traveling with Lord Stark will protect you from harm," warned Rodrik with Sub-Zero glancing at him.

"I assure you, if there is an incident, I will handle it in my own way. I will keep silent of ever knowing House Stark did for me if necessary to prevent problems with another rival House," replied Sub-Zero while Rickard thinking it over.

"Very well. Our new found friend can come with us. Just so long as the questions asked are not too personal or inquisitive in nature, we should be fine," said Rickard with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Can you ride a horse?" asked Rodrik curiously while the Lin Kuei Grandmaster gave the man a small smile.

"As easy as breathing," said Sub-Zero since he didn't rely on cars, planes, or technology for the most part when running the Lin Kuei clan.

He was, as Johnny Cage would say, "old school".

And yet here, in this realm, it was not so old. But current. He could rebuild the clan here. Make it strong. Make it long lasting. Preparing it should Raiden ever find this place and plan to invade to "remove future threats" to Earthrealm.

He could be a protector of this realm for as long as his mortal body lasted in it. And if there was a elemental God for a protector of this realm, Sub-Zero hoped he or she were not angry with his sudden arrival. Or disapprove of him taking on a role as grand as this line of thinking would allow.

"Good! Then it is settled. Master Liang will accompany me as my guest, who is travelling from his home to explore the world at large," said Rickard knowing it wasn't a lie and no one would have the means to prove it was one.

Not even the Spider could prove it using his "little birds".

(Several Days Later)

"I noticed the people in your domain love you and hold your House with a great deal of respect," remarked Sub-Zero now back in his Lin Kuei armor.

"My House has watched over the North as its Warden for over 1,000 years. A Stark must always rule over the North no matter what," said Rickard while they rode with a small escort of Stark bannermen to the King's tourney.

"Your eldest, Brandon, has been well trained to succeed you. What is to become of your youngest? Eddard?" asked Sub-Zero curiously.

"I am having him sent to the Vale to be fostered under Jon Arryn. He is a wise man, who will instruct my youngest well. I also understand Robert Baratheon will also be fostered to him following this tourney. With my daughter arranged to marry Robert in the future, as well as Eddard being fostered with Jon at the same time, I am confident House Stark will have a powerful ally through House Baratheon," answered Rickard while Sub-Zero nodding before a question rose within his mind.

"What do you think of Robert Baratheon? Have you met the boy yourself?" asked Sub-Zero while Rickard shaking his head no.

"Not yet. I have heard he is on the boisterous side and an aggressiveness for fighting if provoked. But I am confident that with enough time, effort, maturity, and Jon Arryn's own guiding hand, the boy will shape up to be a fine man worthy of my daughter," said Rickard with Sub-Zero frowning behind his mask.

"And if he's not worthy of her?" asked Sub-Zero with Rickard sighing since he always knew such an arrangement was a coin toss.

"I pray it won't come to that," said Rickard knowing there was nothing he could do if the two married and Robert did not act like the ideal husband who was faithful to his wife.

"What can you tell me of the other Houses?" asked Sub-Zero since it would be best to know the key figures on this "Game of Thrones" Rodrik had called it since everyone apparently South of the Neck called it that.

"House Martell is located in the Kingdom of Dorne. Their House is considered to be the most Southern due to Dorne being as South as one can get. They are known to specialize in using poison coated weapons so even a single cut from their blades can turn the tide of battle in their favor. Prince Doran recently came of age and is ruling with his sister Elia Martel has been arranged to marry Prince Rheagar to one day become its future Queen. Doran's younger brother, Prince Oberyn, is considered to be the more... _adventurous_ of them, and is showing prominent skills with weapons," said Rickard from what he had heard of the royal Dornish family while Sub-Zero processed this information in his mind for the future.

"You mentioned the Lannister?" asked Sub-Zero with Rickard nodding.

"Aye, they are the richest House in all of the Seven Kingdoms. They are the Warden's of the West and basically control all the gold mines there. The current Hand of the King is Tywin Lannister. A very ruthless man. He destroyed two Houses that rebelled against House Lannister and songs were made to remind people of what he did to them. His younger brother, Kevan Lannister, is currently ruling over the West in his name," said Rickard while the song Rains of Castamere played out in his mind.

And hated that damn song since there was no honor in obliterating an entire House when the descendants could be given a chance to remove their House's shame.

"So they would have the most influence," said Sub-Zero knowing wealth and power from the position Tywin Lannister had made him someone you did not want to challenge.

" _Tywin Lannister_ has the most influence. People fear him and fear House Lannister by extension. Not the House overall. His brother, Kevan, is not nearly as ruthless as Tywin," said Rickard since he knew Tywin Lannister alone made his House feared.

But take away Tywin Lannister and the lion no longer had the claws and teeth to call his own.

"And the other Houses you mentioned?" asked Sub-Zero before Rickard told him of the other Houses and what their "words" that were the House motto.

All the while, Sub-Zero listened intently knowing this information would be key to his continued survival in this new land.

(King's Landing-Sometime Later)

"Is the odor here always this... _foul_?!" asked Sub-Zero while ignoring the people looking at him and his strange armored clothing.

"Apparently, but it is said people get use to it the more they are exposed to the stench over time," said Rickard while grimacing at the unpleasant smell the city was producing right now.

'The air in Outworld and the market areas there were cleaner then this city,' thought Sub-Zero while seeing the city was entering a state of decay.

Not a good sign for the future of this place. The city was walled in from all sides, making the place extremely cramped to all who lived here. There was also signs of the plumbing system would need to be worked on soon or else the various... _waste_ this city was creating would backup, and overflow back into the streets. Within the next few decades without proper management, the city would be so polluted, a plague would be inevitable, and the people suffer agonizing deaths before the end.

It wasn't long before Rickard was able to get them lodgings befitting one of a High Lord's position along with the rest of the Stark bannermen too. Usually, whenever the King was to throw a tourney for whatever reason he commanded, lodgings were reserved for the High Lords and Wardens in advance to ensure they had a place to stay when arriving to the city. Rickard had already sent a raven to King's Landing to request his lodgings hold his bannermen and one recent guest of his House. The issue of additional lodgings was not an issue since some High Lords or Wardens in the past did make such requests and were able to accommodate House Stark easily enough.

"Before we head to the tourney tomorrow, is there anything you haven't told me yet since our time together? Something which might be of some importance? asked Rickard, who had asked Sub-Zero to come to his assigned room for them to speak one more time before they rested for the night.

"There is...one thing I have not yet revealed. Something about myself that I am not sure will have an impact on things as they are with your people. I wasn't even sure how you would react. Hence why I did not show you," said Sub-Zero with Rickard looking at him with curiosity.

"Show me what?" asked Rickard before seeing Sub-Zero extend his hand and use his power to generate a ball of ice in his hand.

"Where I am from, my people would call me a cryomancer. In short, I can make things freeze," said Sub-Zero before placing the ball of ice on the table.

"By the Gods. I have never seen such an ability. I can see why you didn't reveal it back in the North. Some would no doubt call you a White Walker. Or something close to them given this ability," said Rickard while Sub-Zero nodded since he had heard of the White Walkers from Warden of the North and Rodrik during his time in Winterfell.

"I won't use my powers unless necessary. I don't want to cause problems for you or your House while I am here," said Sub-Zero since him being accused of something like what Rickard was saying was not a good thing.

"Yes. I think it would be for the best," said Rickard knowing nothing short of the King approving of Sub-Zero's powers would keep such things from dishonoring House Stark.

(The Next Day)

The start of the tourney was just what Sub-Zero expected from a place where medieval times prospered for the Elder Gods know how long. There was flags showing the sigil of different Houses. People watching as knights went to prove their greatness and those of their House they fought for when called upon. Some of the knights competed in order to be brought into a powerful House and all the benefits it reward them in the process. A moderately well sized home, land, and other perks one would obtain when serving under a High Lord.

Sub-Zero did not sit with Rickard during his time when the tourney started. Instead, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster decided to stay in the shadows to observe things without anyone really focusing on him. It would also give him a chance to observe the King himself and those around him to gauge how they would react to his appearance if revealed.

For the most part, he saw the various Wardens and High Lords sitting with each other just below the King and Queen in their own seats. Rickard was currently sitting next a dark haired blue eyed man, who was well muscled, and talking intently to the Warden of the North. From the description of the various Lords attending, Sub-Zero surmised it was current Head of House Baratheon, and they were talking no doubt about future marriage arrangements between their families. Next to Lord Baratheon was a young tan skinned man with young, yet sharp calculating eyes, who wore loose comfortable clothing one would wear in a more hotter place in the world. Sub-Zero believed this was Prince Doran of Dorne since the explanation of what the Dornish usually wore in terms of clothing in comparison to others had help narrow it down.

On the opposite of Rickard was a middle aged woman starting to show her age, but some measure of beauty despite time catching up. She had sharp eyes like Doran, but unlike the Prince of Dorne, this woman was looking at everyone in a way to determine who would be best choices to advancing her House in terms of position and power. Sub-Zero knew this could only be Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns due to her sharp tongue, and the wit to go with it. From what Rickard told him about the woman, she was considered the true power behind House Tyrell. Nor surprising given how many said her husband, was a dumb oaf of sorts. Her son Mace was something similar, but Olenna was making sure the man had a somewhat competent head on his shoulders.

Further down was a red with graying haired man, who Sub-Zero concluded was Holster Tully of House Tully. Out of everyone there, the man was the only one of the High Lords with reddish hair that singled him out as a Tully. He was a sharp eyed man and it was clear from his glances at Rickard that Lord Tully wished to have words with Lord Stark in the near future.

Closer to the King was a small group of cloaked men in golden armor, which Rickard told the Lin Kuei Grandmaster that those were the Kingsguard. All swearing oaths to protect the King from any and all enemies threatening the Crown. Within this little group of guards stood Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King, and Warden of the West who ruled House Lannister with an iron fist. The man had golden blonde hair and sharp green eyes that surveyed everything and everyone around him.

Unlike with Olenna, this man's eyes were cold and unforgiving to all who crossed him in life. Where Olenna's eyes had a closely guarded warmth to them, Tywin's eyes were not so warm. They reminded Sub-Zero's previous Lin Kuei instructors when growing up and how they demanded only the best from him when training or in combat.

Beside the man was a young boy with blonde hair and green eyes with a young girl of equal age with the same Lannister features. Sub-Zero concluded they were Tywin's two children and were here to learn what they could through this tourney where Wardens and High Lords talked and made deals or future plans for their Houses.

Learn by observing others around you. It was clear to Sub-Zero that Tywin had plans for his children in terms of how they would succeed him in the future. After all, the Head of a House had to make sure his Heir was strong enough to take over should anything befall him.

As for the King himself, it was clear the man had seen better days with the rumor of madness clearly having some merit to them. The man's clothing was on the filthy side. His hair long and slightly unclean. Long and untrimmed fingernails with bony hands that went with them. The teeth were yellow and showing signs of decay. The violet eyes were wild, looking around at everything and everyone around him. Unlike the eyes of those in the seats below him, the eyes of the King were eyes looking for some threat he knew was there, but could not see.

Beside him was the man's sister/wife/Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Unlike her brother, the Queen held no such madness. But they were filled with sorrow. Pain. Suffering. It was clear she was not happy with this relationship with her brother in any shape or form. At the same time, it was clear to those who knew this situation that there was nothing to be done, and would have to be accepted for as long as possible.

Rickard had told Sub-Zero about the Targaryens and how they practiced incest within their House to keep the "bloodline pure", as they called it. How the Gods flipped a coin with the minds of their House to determine if they will be of sound mind or insane. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster knew the madness House Targaryen suffered from was from the incest they performed.

Near the King and Queen stood another man of a somewhat portly appearance wearing elegant robes, was bald, yet had a calm serene expression on his face. Rickard had told Sub-Zero that this man was called Varys, the Spider, and the Master of Whispers. The King's Spymaster and the one who provided the Crown with information throughout the Seven Kingdoms all the way into Essos across the Narrow Sea.

Next to Varys was a middle aged man wearing robes several times his size that went down past his feet. Sub-Zero felt one false move and the man would trip over them if he wasn't careful. He also had linked chains wrapped around his neck with a scruffy looking beard on his face. From what Rickard told him of this man, it was Grand Maester Pycelle, who assigned by the Citadel to advise the King on various mattes, and medicines for the Royal Family when necessary.

Also near the King and Queen under well placed guard was Prince Rheagar himself. He was every bit of a Targaryen as you could imagine with their hair, eyes, and signs of a boyish charm that would make girls blush under his gaze. Sub-Zero did not see any of the madness the boy's Father possessed, but that did not mean it wasn't there waiting to come out when the boy reached a certain age, or became an adult. The King himself did not go mad until he was a full grown adult and his mind started to slowly slip since it started.

As the tourney continued through the day, Sub-Zero continued to observe events around him, and the saw many of the High Lords have numerous conversations with each other. Some talking about their families. Others making plans for their Houses. Some talking about possible marriage arrangements between their sons, daughters, cousins with other Houses they felt would be beneficial in strengthening their position while not being considered an overall threat to those they told. As this was going on, a child, a girl to be more precise, discreetly walking up to Varys and whispered something into his ear. The face on the Spider went from calm to that of a frown before thanking the child, gave her a treat of some kind, and quietly walked over to the King to whisper something into his ear.

Whatever was whispered, Sub-Zero did not know, as the angle of his position prevented him from hearing the words spoken, and where he could not read the Spider's lips. But from what he saw of the King's face told him the man was intrigued before ushering the man away so he could speak to the crowd.

"My Master of Whispers has informed me that someone has come here to King's Landing with the intent to see me. A foreigner of tremendous skill and power. As King of the Seven Kingdoms, I hereby command said man to come out of the crowd and approach so I may decide what is to become of him!" said King Aerys II while the crowd had been silence by his sudden rise and voice echoing throughout the tourney grounds.

As he spoke these words, the Kingsguard put their hands on their swords, at the ready to fight this possible threat while bannermen of the High Lords and Wardens attending were also now at the ready. Even Knights who signed up for fighting in the tourney were also looked around to find and point out the foreigner in the hopes it would please the King.

From his position with the other High Lords, Rickard Stark discreetly glanced over in his direction, and Sub-Zero saw the man's grimace at this news. The Warden of the North had clearly underestimated the Varys and his little birds finding out about the Lin Kuei warrior sooner then they would have liked.

Seeing no real alternative, Sub-Zero moved from the shadows of his position, through the crowd, and into the open for all to see him. Many gasped at the sight of this warrior, as he was wearing strange clothing, mixed with armor, a mask covering most of his face, and cold eyes of a hardened warrior. Seeing him at the center of the tourney grounds brought all eyes to him while he respectfully bowed to the King respectfully.

"My name is Kuai Liang your Grace. I come from a far away land beyond your own and I am traveling in search of something that will give me purpose," said Sub-Zero after he had finished bowing to the King.

"I can see from your attire you are not from here. Yet it is clear you are a friend of the dragon from what I see of your attire. You know of dragons from your homeland," said the King while Sub-Zero nodded and keeping his eyes on the man in front of him.

"Dragons once existed in my homeland. They were feared and respected by all when they flew through the air. They were said to quite intelligent and some were said to share their wisdom and power with those they deemed worthy," replied Sub-Zero while King Aerys II seemed to smile at that and laugh suddenly.

"Many thought I was mad for believing as such. The Maesters all said that dragons were mindless beast. All they did was destroy things and eat what they do not burn. But those fools wouldn't know how to act in front of a dragon if one bit their faces off," said King Aerys II before laughing like he just told a joke.

"Indeed. I have always felt dragons should be respected due to their greatness. Where I am from, a dragon is a symbol of true power. To see them as mere beasts is foolish," said Sub-Zero while Aerys II nodded and the madness clearly overwhelming his mind.

"You do understand! Of course you would. I see it in your eyes. Your clothing you wear. The armor pieces. the amulet on your chest. You are a dragon as well! Like me! A man with dragon's blood in his veins! Yes! Yes! Its only fitting one such as yourself come to this land. To see me! The Gods have seen to that! Now the question is, what is to be done now that you are here?!" stated King Aerys II while thinking with his right hand on his chin.

"Perhaps he would wish participate in the tournament your Grace. After all, a man of his caliber should fight for your son on his nameday. If this foreigner is a true dragon from another land, this man should have no problem competing," offered Tywin Lannister, who saw Sub-Zero's sudden arrival as a possible threat, and saw this as an opportunity to gauge it.

"Yes! Yes! You are right Tywin! And it just so happens the melee part of the tourney is happening tomorrow, correct?" asked Aerys II with Tywin nodding.

"It is your Grace. The sun is still high enough so the day is not fully over. I believe there is sufficient time for him to prepare for tomorrow and compete," said Tywin while seeing no reaction from Sub-Zero at this sudden idea to throw him into the heart of what would be a bloodbath when the melee portion of the tourney started.

"Agreed! What say you foreign dragon? Care to participate in the melee tomorrow? I would very much like to see you fight and show us the power of the dragon's blood in your veins. Win the competition and an abundance of wealth will yours!" stated King Aerys II while Sub-Zero quickly began to think over the man's proposition.

While Sub-Zero didn't wish to make waves in this realm that would most likely become his new home, he did need the wealth provided to provide a solid foundation to build on. The melee competition sounded like Mortal Kombat, but for all he knew, the rules were different, and killing his opponent might be frowned upon by most of the High Lords and Ladies present. Of course, the King himself might not care due to his madness, and would most likely be angry if Sub-Zero said no or lost during the fighting.

And a King filled with madness had to be spoken to very carefully to ensure he was not angered to the point of ordering his men to kill him.

"If it pleases his Majesty, I will participate in the melee. Provided it does not interfere in your rules for one such as myself to join. I am a foreigner to these lands. I do not wish to stain your honor or your very House by unknowingly breaking one of the qualifying rules for this event," said Sub-Zero while the King frowned for a moment in thought before he turned to the side as if someone was speaking to him.

There wasn't one. Not that Sub-Zero could see at any rate.

"Huh? Yes. Yes! Of course! My Champion! Yes! That's it! You will be my Champion in the melee tomorrow. It is only fitting. One dragon fighting for the glory and honor of the other!" stated King Aerys II knowing whoever was appointed as the King's Champion in a tourney was automatically qualified to participate in any event the King deemed fit.

However, it also meant that should the Champion fail, it would mean the instant death of the Champion himself due to making the King look foolish in choosing him to compete.

High risk, yet high reward for anyone chosen for the position.

"I humbly accept the honor and title you have given me," replied Sub-Zero with a polite bow of his head while the King smile with his madness returning full force.

"Ser Barristan! See to it my Champion is properly instructed on what is to happen during the melee tomorrow. Any and all weapons or equipment he may require will be provided at cost from the treasury. See to it that he is prepared for tomorrow!" commanded King Aerys II with the man now identified as Ser Barristan bowed to the King and motioned for Sub-Zero to follow him.

Which Sub-Zero did and ignored all the eyes of the people watching him in the process.

'May the Gods protect you Kuai Liang. I only hope your skills are enough to best those you will face tomorrow,' thought Rickard Stark while he glanced over at Varys, who had glanced over at him with a "I know he was with you" look of his own.

Rickard knew he would have to speak to the Spider before the man decided to whisper more words into the King's ear and cause problems for House Stark.

(With Sub-Zero)

"You have gained the attention of the King. For your own sake, I pray you do not fall victim to his ire while here," said Ser Barristan while Sub-Zero nodded.

"It was not my intention to make myself known to him. I am merely traveling to find my place in the world. When I saw the festivities happening, I was curious, and decided to watch from a distance. I am a foreigner in this land after all," said Sub-Zero while Ser Barristan nodded knowing those not born in Westeros were looked down on by others since foreigners had customs that were different from what they knew.

Essos and Bravos were a prime example of places where different customs there were frowned upon by those in Westeros.

"The Gods do indeed work in mysterious ways. You are seeking a place to settle down and it just so happens to be the Prince's nameday. A day where the King holds a tourney with vast wealth being a reward to the victor," remarked Ser Barristan while Sub-Zero could not deny that him having this opportunity was a rare once in a lifetime event when starting over fresh.

Maybe the God or Gods of this realm were helping him. They were certainly more open about it then the Elder Gods. While Sub-Zero held nothing against them, it was clear that short of breaking their rules or doing something which would threaten their existence, the Elder Gods would not interfere in any affair to any world.

Still, he could and would take any advantage made available to him.

"I suppose they do. While we expect the assortment of weapons I can use for the melee, would you explain the rule of the melee tournament?" asked Sub-Zero with Ser Barristan nodding and began to explain the rules regarding the melee part of the tournament.

(Melee Tournament Grounds-The Next Day)

The melee tournament grounds was packed more then usual today. Most who didn't have the stomach for the violence these type of all out fighting brought was usually ignored. But today was a special day. A strange foreigner from a distant land was just named the King's Champion the previous day. He had been tasked by the King himself to win the competition and show his skills in combat. Many thought the foreigner would not win while others hoped he would die since a foreigner being the King's Champion rubbed them the wrong way. And surprisingly, there were a few hoping to see the man win the melee tournament in order to gauge his potential. If it was good enough they would make the attempt to see if the strange man would like to join their House.

At the moment, Sub-Zero was standing in the arena setup for the melee competition. He was currently surrounded by other knights, sell swords, and anyone else eager to spill blood for a chance at the vast wealth this part of the tournament provided. Even more so when Tywin Lannister convinced the King to increase the amount of gold dragons from 50,000 to 100,000 gold dragons to provide further motivation for his Champion to win.

And naturally, the King agreed.

Right now, many of the men in the arena were mentally salivating at the idea of having so much gold in their possession. They could start their own House. Become a Lord over their own spot of land, swear fealty to another High Lord soon after, and possibly have the financial influence to buy their future bride into a powerful House. It would be even more impressive, in their own minds, if they bested the foreigner who was declared the King's Champion. Some even mocked him when the Lin Kuei came to the arena with a simple bo-staff he had obtained after finding none of the weapons on hand were fitting to his specification. Sub-Zero knew making a sword or any weapon out of ice was certainly out of the question and he didn't wish to kill anyone in this melee tournament unless it was absolutely necessary to his survival.

So the man went with a staff he had commissioned using a single tree branch, which was cut down, and taken to a skilled carpenter to be modified to his specifications. While the Street of Steel had many fine blacksmiths, no question, a carpenter would know how to turn a tree branch into a strong bo-staff.

They would soon find that while Sub-Zero was indeed a foreigner by their standard (and more ways than one), he was not to be underestimated, or to be taken lightly.

"Let the melee tournament of this tourney, BEGIN!" exclaimed Tywin Lannister, who has been chosen by the King to announce the event.

And in that instant, all Seven Hells broke loose.

The knights and sell swords closest to Sub-Zero moved to engage him first, but the Lin Kuei Grandmaster anticipated this from the looks, and overall bloodlust these men were now sporting. They wanted to defeat him right away. To put down the foreigner and the King's Champion in one moment to show everyone their greatness.

Only for the swing from one knight's sword to miss when Sub-Zero ducked under it and the second knight had his sword blocked by the bo-staff. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster had moved swiftly to kick the second knight in the chest before spinning around low, and did a sweeping maneuver that sent the first knight onto the ground. The first knight didn't even know what happened due to the final touch with the end of the bow staff hitting him right in the forehead and knocking the man out cold.

As for the second knight, he just got up from the kick Sub-Zero had given him before a harsh jab from the bo-staff sent him back yet again with enough force to dent his armor. Unlike with the kick, this blow was hard enough to keep the man down indefinitely due to the blow making him cough up blood moment later, and make him see a healer after this was over.

Spinning the bo-staff around, Sub-Zero focused on the other fighters in the arena. Some were fighting each other, but a small portion were not focused on him. Clearly they saw he was no push over and knew how to fight two opponents at once. With that small piece of information in mind, three men charged Sub-Zero at one in the belief he couldn't fend off three of them at the same time.

They soon be proven wrong.

Sub-Zero moved fluidly like water, blocking one attack, dodging the second, redirecting the third. Elbowing the first attacker of this new group is in the face, shattering the knee of the second attacker with his foot, and finally swinging the bo-staff vertically upward to hit the third attacker in the chin to send the man flying back. The second attacker tried to limp toward him the stupid attempt to stab the Lin Kuei warrior from behind when he believed Sub-Zero's defenses were down, but only received was a backhanded hit to the face.

The sell sword was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"Incredible. Did you see that Rickard?! His own self awareness in fighting opponents at a level few can achieve at his age!" stated Holster Tully while watching the melee intently.

"Indeed. Few can do what he did just now. Its almost like the man has eyes in the back of his head," remarked Rickard while glancing around to see many of the High Lords and the other Wardens were watching with increasing interest.

"Father, is such a thing really possible?" asked Jamie Lannister with Tywin nodding.

"It is, but few have mastered it. To be mindful of your surroundings in a fight, skirmish, or battlefield in a war is extremely difficult. Watch and learn," said Tywin firmly with his son doing just that.

Eventually the rest of the group desiring to knock out (or kill) Sub-Zero from this melee competition charged all at once. They didn't believe a man like Sub-Zero could challenge _ALL_ of them given their sheer numbers. Two of course. Three maybe. But six of them?! Not possible. You would need the blessing of the Seven to best them all in their opinion and overwhelming numbers generally one the day.

But not this day.

Sub-Zero did not fight like knights did. Standing in one spot, not moving. Using your sword and shield as the only weapons available to you. He was Lin Kuei and his entire _body_ was a weapon. Swords, shields, spears, bows and arrows, and knives were all an extensions to be thrown away. But to destroy a person with just your arms and legs was another matter all together.

Throwing the bo-staff low, he tripped two of the surprised group of six men. Without missing a beat, Sub-Zero dodged a vertical sword strike before elbowing the man in the temple, and knocking the man quickly into unconsciousness. The next attacker found himself quickly disarmed of his sword after missing with his own attack before his own sword was used to slice deeply into his side.

Now armed with a weapon again, Sub-Zero began to use it to block several sword strikes against him before knocking it out of the enemy's hand. The man instantly surrendered before Sub-Zero used a one armed spin throw to threw him out of the way into the barrier wall. Rolling forward, Lin Kuei warrior avoided yet another deadly sword strike to his person before throwing his sword at his fourth man, which hit the sell sword former from the Second Sons in the leg with enough force to bury it deep. The fifth attacker was the more muscular of the group and tried to take Sub-Zero's head off during that time with the man kneeling on the muddy ground. But Sub-Zero was within arm's reach of his bo-staff and used it to block the attack while sensing it would be enough to split his weapon in two. When the blade hit the bo-staff, Sub-Zero leaped back at the last moment so only the staff was cut into two. At this point, many thought the Lin Kuei warrior was now in serious trouble since his staff had been destroyed, and considered to be useless against his opponent by default.

Only to be proven wrong once more when Sub-Zero brandished them like weapons and many were reminded of the Sword of Morning with the way he wielded his swords in battle. The people watched as Sub-Zero moved and dodged the sword strikes aimed at him before using the two sticks in his hands to disable his opponent of his sword, hit various parts of his opponent's body. Each hit dented the knight's armor, lefts bruises all over the arms, legs, thigh, chest, and face of the man Sub-Zero was facing.

By the time the systematic hits ended, the knight was on the ground, in pain, and slowly falling into blissful unconsciousness.

Slowly turning to face the final combatant, a sell sword from his attire, Sub-Zero cracked his neck, and beckoned the man to come after him. But unlike the others, this man knew when to cut his losses, and dropped his sword before surrendering.

Interesting enough, there were no more fighters left to fight since Sub-Zero had either defeated them or they had defeated each other. The one who surrendered had wisely left the arena with some measure of dignity as no one blamed him for bending the knee to a clearly superior warrior in the way of combat. Many knights and even some Kingsguard members watching who did not participate would have done the same thing if in the same position.

"It would appear I am the winner," commented Sub-Zero before he turned to stare at the King, who was now laughing with a madness filled joy at seeing his Champion win the entire melee tournament.

"Well done my Champion! Well done! How would you like to participate in the archery and jousting next?!" asked King Aerys II while Sub-Zero thought it over.

"With respect your majesty, while I am a skilled archer and would certainly do my best to win it, the joust is where I would fail you if I participated. The land from where I lived, we have never performed such an event such as that. As your chosen Champion, it would be wrong to participate in an event where I would most certainly lose, and dishonor you by default," said Sub-Zero while bowed respectfully to the King.

His answer stunned many, as everyone watched the King with waiting breaths since the Lin Kuei warrior had accepted the archery competition, but declined to jousting. And while the latter was for a very good reason, the King may not see it that way. One does not say no to a King and come out unharmed unless the King himself is understanding.

However, it seemed the King's way of thinking was in Sub-Zero's favor. The man was apparently hearing invisible voices, which seemed to agree with the Lin Kuei warrior's way of thinking. The King was listening to the invisible words, nodding in what appeared to be understanding before looking back at Sub-Zero.

"You make a good point. Yes. Yes. Losing right away as my Champion in a competition you have never participated in would look bad for the dragon. You will participate in the archery though. I expect you to win it just like you did this melee. Make the dragons we represent proud!" declared Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding.

"As always, I will do my best to prove myself," said Sub-Zero before he bowed again in a respectful manner and left to rest in a tent the King had arranged for him.

He would collect his winnings from the melee competition later. Not to mention the Lin Kuei warrior would need to acquire a bow suitable to himself and arrows to fire for when the archery competition started.

"You did well back there Master Liang. I haven't seen a skilled warrior move like you since Arthur Dayne when he competed in his first tournament. Of course, when he did, it was with two swords. Not sticks," said Varys after entering the tent silently and saw the Lin Kuei warrior sitting on his bed to focus his mind.

"The principle behind using the sticks as weapons is the same as using swords. If I had used two swords instead of sticks, the man I used my skills on would be dead. Plus, I only kill when necessary," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding with a smile.

"Indeed. Such a rare thing to find self restraint in a warrior such as yourself. Your actions this day have surprised many of the smallfolk watching the melee. Not surprising since you are not only new to Westeros, but labeled the King's Champion. No foreigner in the history of the Seven Kingdoms has ever had the honor," said Varys while approaching the man to get a better look at him.

"I can imagine as much. Tell me, are the rumors true? About the...mental health of the King?" asked Sub-Zero carefully with Varys now having a frown on his face, but not at the question.

At the answer he was about to given.

"I'm afraid the rumors are true. The King's mind is failing him. I try to do what I can to keep him from making decisions that would have lasting repercussions for all the Seven Kingdoms. Alas, my words carry only so much weight. The man seeks to find anyone who could possibly be a threat to him and sadly, the King is seeing more of these enemies with each passing day. I fear it will not be long before things become worse and not even I can keep the madness from taking over completely. It also doesn't help that there are others on the Small Council who have done little to keep his mind from deteriorating. The only other person aside from myself who has even tried to keep the King from acting rashly is Tywin Lannister, but I suspect it is have the King propose a marriage agreement with his daughter Cersei and Prince Rheagar. However, I fear the King's madness will cause him to decline such a proposal, if only to spite Tywin Lannister. If that happens, I fear it will become a move that could prove to be House Targaryen's own undoing in the future," said Varys since he knew Tywin was a vindictive man and anyone who wronged him met a horrifying end.

Two rebelling Houses now destroyed was proof of this.

"You sound as if some of the major Houses are considering...rebellion?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys giving him a "its a distinct possibility" type of look.

"The King is not as loved as he would believe. Many are waiting for the day he dies and his son takes the Iron Throne. Hence why Tywin Lannister is attempting to have Prince Rheagar marry his daughter to have his influence to the Crown be uncontested by the other Houses," said Varys with Sub-Zero narrowing his eyes at him.

"Why are you telling me this? A foreigner? Even if I am the King's Champion during this tourney, I imagine its only for this, and the archery competition," said Sub-Zero with his voice laced with suspicion.

"You are right to be cautious my friend. I am telling you things someone such as yourself should not hear. Why? Because I see an ally to preserve the realms and to help keep it from being torn apart by a needless war. The Seven Kingdoms has been showing signs of fracturing and the landscape shifting. Houses are making plays by marrying their children off to each other or sending them off to be fostered to others. Every major player in this game have been gathering support by any and all means necessary. All it will take, it one spark, one incident, or one moment in time to make it all explode. Violently! I do what I can, but even someone in my position has limits. I need allies. Allies who can be trusted to assist the Seven Kingdoms and the realm of men to survive should finally war come to the land," said Varys while Sub-Zero got up from his bed and got in the Spider's face.

"And you think someone like me can help turn the tide? If only for a time?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"I know you can. The way you walk. Talk. Act. You are a man with many skills. Strong in both the mind and body. Westeros needs someone like you. Someone who can be friends and allies to all Houses. Not just one or two. Someone who when he takes a side, knows it is the right side to take. Your sudden appearance in Westeros in the short time being here has no doubt shifted the very landscape among the Wardens and High Lords. Everyone is now looking at you with suspicion and curiosity. They wonder how much longer you can be in the King's favor and if they can use it to their advantage," said Varys with Sub-Zero understanding the realm of politics well given the nature of the Lin Kuei had them when it came to the Cyber-Initiative.

Even prior to that, politics played a role in the clan on who to side with when factions from various places throughout Earthrealm hired them. Knowing who to side with and who could provide the most wealth, power, and favors when called in were essential to the clan staying strong.

"Politics. Is like a disease. It is everywhere. No matter what form it takes," commented Sub-Zero with Varys nodding in agreement.

"Truer words have never been spoken my friend. As you clearly saw, the King is losing his mind. The Prince maybe our best shot for keeping the world from falling into a brutal violent war, but one can only hope for the best, yet plan for the worst. I do not believe the young Prince will inherit his Father's madness. But sadly, my belief is not a guarantee no matter how much I wish it was. Together, I believe we can prevent future horrors that are to come if left unchecked, and left unseen to handle by one such as yourself," said Varys with Sub-Zero sighing.

"You mean get close to the King and the Prince. See how bad the madness becomes and protect the Prince at the same time. An unofficial bodyguard perhaps? Or something else to ensure the other Wardens or High Lords get any ideas?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys nodding yet again.

"The latter. If you become the protect of Prince Rheagar, however short a time it will be, the High Lords and Wardens will become angered at the King for obtaining your services to the Crown. But the latter which you are proposing would unite the High Lords, the Wardens, and possibly the Crown together with the next generation that are their Heirs," said Varys while Sub-Zero catching on.

In quite a few years time, these High Lords and Wardens would have their children take over in ruling while older generation stepped down to act as advisors to them. The Heirs would become Heads of their Houses and would have the final say on how said Houses are run. If Sub-Zero were to help them form bonds with each other, none of them would wish to go to war with the other, and could prevent long term hostilities for the longest time in several centuries.

Maybe more.

"For such a plan to even work, I would have to gain more favor from the King. I would have to win the archery tournament. In addition, _someone_ would have to propose an idea which keeps me nearby so all can benefit from my presence. Someone with influence who could _whisper_ into the King's ear and essentially put his own life on the line when doing so in backing such a move despite the mentality of the person hearing it," said Sub-Zero with Varys giving him a knowing smile.

"From the look in your eyes, you have played this game before in a different place at a different time. Good. Experience will come in handy for what can be set into motion once you win the archery competition," said Varys with Sub-Zero grimacing.

"I am a good with bow and arrow. Without question, with my skill, I could possibly win the archery competition. But I doubt I am the best. I am sure even one or two of the other competitors could best me if they tried," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding since some winners one tourney were bested by others in the next in the same field.

"Then we will have to ensure you win the competition to strengthen your position with the King. Losing your archery competition will look bad in the eyes of the King and the dragon does take losing lightly," said Varys with Sub-Zero glaring.

"I will not cheat to win. If I win, it must be done without a hint of deception. Many would no doubt wish me to fail. If I win through treachery, they will be able to spot it. The King will no doubt hate it if I lose, but win by cheating would be worse. In his mind, a dragon does not need to cheat in order to win. With the current state of his mind right now, it is not in our best interest to consider the option," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"I have no intention of you being called a cheater in this event or do something to make others question your honor. What I was referring to was merely obtaining a bow which would allow you to unleash the full potential of your archery skill," said Varys with Sub-Zero giving him a look.

"It is not the bow that makes the archer skilled. It is their usage and overall experience from using a bow that makes a person skilled," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding since that was true.

"Agreed. But having a high quality bow you can use doesn't hurt either. Plus, the King will want to ensure you have only the best and therefore it is _not_ cheating," said Varys since the King had practically commanded Sub-Zero being given the best to remove the disadvantage he felt his Champion would have against the other competitors.

"Given your position, I assume you know the very weapon maker who currently has the best made bow in stock?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys smirking at him.

"I wouldn't be much of a spymaster if I didn't. Alas, I cannot be seen walking with you to said location. However, one of my little birds will show you the way," said Varys with his smile increasing before walking out of the tent.

'Something tells me I just exited one game that is life for entirely new one,' thought Sub-Zero while letting out a long sigh and decided to stay.

If he was going to live in this realm _AND_ possibly start a new Lin Kuei Clan...why not here?

(A/N: YAY! A new story for all of you to read. Yes, I know you feel I should focus on my Naruto fics. Yes, I know adding a new fic delays them being updated. But I hit a bit of a mental block because _THIS_ was on my mind. So in order to get back to my Naruto fics, I need to get some of this little number out of my head. Now, I'm sure some of you think other MK characters might show up. As of right now, the answer is no. As much as I would like that, it would be too much. I am a Sub-Zero fan. Love him! I always have been with Scorpion being a close second and Noob Saibot being a close third. They are all bad asses with their own unique set of skills. Until next time...PEACE!)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-A New Piece on the Board

The sound of arrows flying and hitting their target could be heard through the training area assigned to the Kingsguard to train and hone their skills. Whether it was the sword, the shield, the spear, or the bow and arrow. Many knights who became Kingsguard spent their days training to hone their skills in case there was a war and they were called into battle to fight for the King or Prince.

In this case, the training area was being used for the bow and arrow target practice.

"Impressive. Your skills with a bow are superb," commented Ser Barristan, who had been ordered by the King to be Sub-Zero's chaperone to ensure no one tried anything toward the Champion of House Targaryen.

One of the reasons Ser Barristan was impressed was due to how Sub-Zero not only hit the targets dead center, but he _moved_ when firing at them, and hitting his target dead center each time. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster had asked for a way to hit moving target while standing still or moving as the targets moved. When Ser Barristan told him it was not possible to get moving targets, at least not in a short amount of time, Sub-Zero had to compensate, and decided he would be the one to move while firing at the target.

"Anyone can fire a bow and arrow at an unmoving target Ser Barristan. It is the moving ones which show a true test of a man's skill. Moving targets are harder to hit. Harder to gauge. And ultimately, harder to kill when aiming for the spot which would be lethal," said Sub-Zero calmly as he had fired the target in front of him.

He had moved left of the target, right of the target, further away from the target, and even crouched when firing at the target for good measure. Sub-Zero had no intention of losing the archery competition and even if did somehow lose...it was best to make his opponent work for the victory.

"I have heard stories of the Dorthraki and their riders can shoot arrows from their horses while moving swiftly across the land. Do your own people have that same skill to shoot arrows while riding?" asked Ser Barristan curiously.

"They do. Where I am from, it was a skill that took years of training, but could be done with enough time and effort," answered Sub-Zero calmly since it was true that archers could shoot from horses with enough training.

"Fascinating. Such skill in archery would be useful to the Kingsguard in the future when riding off into battle. Perhaps, you should consider joining us in order to show my fellow Kingsguard how it is done," offered Ser Barristan, who made it a bit of a habit to recruit young impressionable minds into the Kingsguard if they showed incredible skills capable of defending the King or Prince.

And naturally, he saw great potential in Sub-Zero. Perhaps the King would even allow them to alter the Kingsguard uniform to the man's specifications if it encouraged him to join.

"A tempting offer Ser Barristan, but the Kingsguard restricts my movements to serving the Crown when my skills can be used on a much larger scale. One where the people also benefit. Not just the King," said Sub-Zero before firing another arrow and hitting it dead center.

"I see. I can understand and respect that line of reasoning with how the rules we follow can be...constricting. Though I must admit I am slightly disappointed," said Ser Barristan with Sub-Zero finished firing off his last arrow.

And hitting dead center.

The archery part of the tournament was fast approaching. It wouldn't be long before Sub-Zero proved his worth in that field representing the King as his Champion. Many were hoping the man would fail. Others thought he should succeed despite being a foreigner since it would help knock down some of the more pompous and arrogant competitors in the tournament.

Some were wondering what the Lin Kuei warrior would do with all of the money earned from the archery tournament when combined with fortune obtained from the melee. With the way things were, many speculated the man could buy himself into a powerful house by marrying the daughter of a High Lord. Or maybe setup his own House in a territory of his choosing and become powerful over time.

"Life is unfortunately filled with disappointments," said Sub-Zero before holstering the bow onto his back.

"I couldn't agree more," said Tywin Lannister with a slow methodical step toward the two men and glancing from Sub-Zero to the targets.

"Lord Hand," said Ser Barristan before bowing in respect to the Hand of the King.

"You're skill with a bow is impressive," commented Tywin since he had been observing the man intently when practicing his archery skills.

"Years of practice, training, experience, and discipline," replied Sub-Zero with Tywin nodding in respect to a man who could train and hone his skills to become sharp as an actual blade.

"At this rate, those who wagered you will win the archery competition will win a hefty sum," commented Tywin while omitting the fact he had wagered for Sub-Zero to win or that he did it discreetly through several agents.

If people knew who Tywin Lannister favored in a competition, they would assume his decision was the right one, and everyone would place their bets on Sub-Zero. Which in turn meant less gold for him to collect when the conclusion of the competition ended.

Not only that, but betting on the King's Champion, if only in secret, would put Tywin in good graces with the King himself for when he made the marriage proposition for Cersei to marry Prince Rheagar. One of the servants back home had told Cersei a few years ago that she would be married to Prince Rheagar in the future. At the time, it was merely a plan to bind the Lannister's to the Iron Throne, but nothing solid in terms of making it happen. The very servant who told Cersei about the possible arranged marriage assumed it was true since Tywin was planning it out with his brother Kevan at the time when the discussion the future of their children. Tywin had sounded like it was an assured thing because of his position as Hand of the King, and because the way he talked about it to Kevan made it sound like it would happen in the near future.

Now Cersei had it in her mind that she would one day be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and it was Tywin's duty as her Father to make sure it happened. Any child she sired with the Prince would cement the Lannister dynasty for over one thousand years.

And it was not just Cersei's future he had to ensure would make House Lannister become unrivaled in the future, but Jamie as well. The boy had no much potential at his age to be something great. Born from the wealthiest House in Westeros. Had a boyish charm at a young age, which would increase when becoming a man. Had the best teachers, tutors, and trainers gold could purchase.

Tywin knew his son had the potential to do great things. There was just one problem.

His son and Heir was also too spoiled as a result of having everything given to him by Tywin when asked. A new horse? Finest horse born and bred in the West was delivered the next day. New clothes? Finest clothing in the South made available by the end of the day. The bed sheets are no longer comfortable? Burned and replaced with softer ones just before lunch.

Another problem was his son tended to get into more trouble then Tywin would like to admit. And what was even worse, the boy always hid behind his Father's name when the people wronged demanded the boy pay for his crimes. When the boy got into a fight with a noble Lord's son and badly injured him? Tywin's name was mentioned as Jamie's Father and all was forgiven. Horrible misunderstanding. When Jamie was spying on a woman in the bedrooms when she was undressing before being caught by the woman's husband? Jamie mentions his Father and what happened to the two Houses who rebelled. The man apologies and begs forgiveness. When Jamie did something stupid in any shape or form, all he did was mention his Father and it was like any indiscretion was suddenly forgiven or wiped clean.

It was amusing yet annoying at the same time. The boy had everything, but a firm grasp on what it meant to be responsible, and to think about how your actions shape the future of your House.

Unfortunately, duties as Hand of the King made his time more difficult these days to keep an eye on his children to ensure they kept their stupidity to a minimum.

"I will do my best not to lose or disappoint those who placed their coin in my favor," said Sub-Zero while suspecting Tywin Lannister was among those who put his wealth on the Lin Kuei warrior to win.

"Not to intrude on your conversation, but why exactly are you here Lord Hand?" asked Ser Barristan to Tywin Lannister with a sense of caution in his eyes at the ambitious man of House Lannister.

"One of the reasons I came here was to talk to the King's Champion. I wanted to meet the man who has made such an impact on our King shortly after arriving in King's Landing," answered Tywin while glancing from Ser Barristan to Sub-Zero.

"And what would wish to discuss Lord Hand?" asked Sub-Zero while deciding to use the man's title since anything less would be disrespectful.

"Why the future of the Seven Kingdoms of course. One with you in it as a key player," said Tywin with Ser Barristan grimacing while Sub-Zero kept himself unreadable due to his face mask.

"With all due respect Lord Hand, I am not one who allows others to use me as their pawn in their plans to advance themselves or their House," said Sub-Zero firmly yet politely.

"I'm sure you are one such person, but in order to have a position of power, you must first serve those already with power," countered Tywin with Sub-Zero still being unreadable to him.

"And what do you see in regards to my future? Serving your House as one of its hidden agents?" asked Sub-Zero curiously while Tywin smirked.

"You catch on quickly. Though something tells me my intentions were noticeably due to my reputation, which clearly precedes me," replied Tywin since everyone knew that any conversation he had with a person involved getting them under his boot or by his side to amass further strength foe his House.

"You have the eyes of an ambitious man," said Sub-Zero with Tywin smirking with a small bow of admittance to the statement and giving the Lin Kuei credit where credit was due.

"Indeed. Which is why I see a chance for my House to grow even stronger with your help. Win the archery tournament and come see me afterwards. I want you to hear my proposal. With any luck, it will catch your interest," said Tywin before walking away from the two men.

"Be mindful of Tywin Lannister. Any deal he offers is designed to benefit him and him only no matter your decision," said Ser Barristan since he had been in the Kingsguard and around the Lord of Casterly Rock to know how the man acted around others.

Even now, Ser Barristan had seen the ambitious green eyes of Tywin Lannister gazing at Prince Rheagar with plans and schemes for the young dragon. Ser Barristan swore he would protect the young Prince and ensure not even the lion could sink his claws into the future of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I know. He is someone who seeks to leave behind a legacy his children will carry on long after he is dead and they have children of their own. But what makes him dangerous is the insight to not overreach. He knows when to stop and when to continue. There are few who know how to do that," said Sub-Zero while walking with Ser Barristan back to his quarters.

The archery tournament started tomorrow.

(Archery Tournament-The Next Day)

The crowd was in a roar. No. A frenzy. No. A roar and a frenzy all in one. Why? Because the King's Champion, who just so happened to be a foreigner from another had actually _won_ the archery competition. The competition consisted of over 25 competitors and all of them with experience under their belt. In fact, there would have been more, but the melee tournament had effectively thinned the rank of those competing.

Regardless, the betting for the foreigner to win had increased significantly because of it. The High Lords and Wardens had been interested in Sub-Zero's performance in archery with some placing bets on his victory. Olenna knew skill when she saw one and ordered her son to bet on the Lin Kuei to win despite her slightly oafish son's minor protest. A quick glare with the words "do as I say!" behind it and Mace was quick to wager a nice significant sum. Even Rickard Stark, who normally didn't bet anything at all, much less come to most of these events, bet on Sub-Zero to win. He had seen the man's skills with a bow and arrow already in the North and when traveling from there to King's Landing.

The two had spoken a lot during that time and Rickard knew Sub-Zero was a man of many deadly skills. A warrior and assassin all in one. Skilled in weapons combat of all ranges, including hand to hand combat, and only recently learned the man can an ability to make ice form in his hands.

Lord Stark would be foolish and miss an opportunity here if he didn't place a wager on Sub-Zero to win the archery competition.

In fact, the only noticeable person who bet against Sub-Zero was Grand Maester Pycelle himself, who seemed to think the young man would lose. He had bet against the Lin Kuei warrior and convinced some of the other minor Lords to do the same, using his "years of experience" as a Grand Maester to convince them that the foreigner couldn't possibly best the archers born of Westerosi blood. How those born within the Seven Kingdoms had the finest archers and were superior to anyone or anything overseas.

In any case, the overall wager was roughly in Sub-Zero's favor.

And Sub-Zero did not disappoint.

It started off simply enough. Firing arrows, hitting the targets, thinning the ranks of the competition before hitting more difficult targets in order to advance. As the ranks thinned with losing five at a time per match up, Sub-Zero was soon shown to be the favorite to win the competition. Hitting target after target dead center to shock and awe of the crowd seeing the chosen King's Champion advancing himself through the tournament.

Sub-Zero even showed more of his skill by _moving_ and shooting his target dead center when it came down to the final match. His opponent had hit the target right at the center, but the arrow was so deep, it could not be pulled out. The man in question was from Dorn and looked rather smug about besting the King's Champion since the arrow was too deep to pull out and the rule stated both men had to hit the same target. Even if Sub-Zero hit the bulls eye, the Dornish archer figured it wouldn't be deep enough to win.

Only for Sub-Zero to surprise everyone by moving by kneeling at a very low, almost painfully low, angle, and calculating the shot of his arrow's trajectory. With one calm breath, he fired his arrow, hitting dead center just like his opponent did. As a result, the arrow was not only imbedded deeper then his opponent's, but the opponent's arrow was destroyed in the process after being pierced from underneath. It had caused an uproar with the people, cheering at such a display of skill to do that.

And all the while, the King smiled his maddening smile, yet cheering all the same with the crowd for the King's Champion.

"Ser Barristan, invite my Champion to dine with me and my Queen for dinner. I wish to have a discussion with him," said King Aerys II with Ser Barristan nodding.

"What should I tell him about the discussion your Grace?" asked Ser Barristan with the King looking over to the side as if hearing another voice talking to him.

"Tell him, it is about the future. _His future_ in the Seven Kingdoms," ordered King Aerys II with Ser Barristan nodding.

"As you command your Grace," said Ser Barristan while ignoring how Varys was easily listening and was yet enjoying the celebration at the same time.

(The King's Tent-Sometime Later)

Sub-Zero walked into the tent slowly, calmly, yet politely before giving the King and Queen the respectful bow at the long table in front of him. He walked like a man who was expected, yet did not walk into the tent as if it was his tent, or that everyone in it should acknowledge his very presence just from entering. A servant had pulled a chair out and Sub-Zero gave the servant a nod before sitting down at the opposite end of the table while the King watched his every move. As for the Queen, she was smiling her ever polite smile, but it was clear she did not want to be here, or anywhere near the King for that matter.

Behind the two members of the royal family were several members of the Kingsguard, including Ser Barristan, Varys the Spider, and the Hand of the King himself. All three men were not here to eat, but to observe, guard, and advise the King when required to ensure proper decisions were made at any event the King attended.

Even simple dinners that were not so simple when it came to the King. Especially when the King was slowly losing his mind to madness.

"I am honored by your invitation your Grace. Thank you for having me here to dine at your table," said Sub-Zero politely.

"Thanks are not necessary. We are but two dragons meeting at a dinner table," said King Aerys II while servants came into the tent to bring them food.

"I am still honored," said Sub-Zero while a servant put down a plate of food.

"You dress nicely out of your unique clothes and armor. If it wasn't for the way you walk, talk, or that Ser Barristan had told me of your impending entrance, I wouldn't have been able to recognize you," said King Aerys II with a small laugh before he began eating.

"Thank you your Grace. Your tailors were generous in providing me clothing worthy of being able to dine with a King," said Sub-Zero, as he was wearing a form fitting tunic and pants made forged from the finest cloth to come out of Highgarden while the boots were made from the finest tanner in the West.

Leave it to the King of the Seven Kingdoms to ensure his Champion had the very best in clothing to where for a dinner meeting.

"One of the reasons I asked for you to come here my fellow dragon, was to discuss the future. Namely your future. Living here within my Kingdom. Or one of the Seven I rule over," said King Aerys II before drinking his wine.

"I am glad you wish to discuss such a thing with me your Grace. I have been giving my future here in your Kingdom a great deal of thought as well," said Sub-Zero with the King smiling with his yellow mangled teeth showing.

"I knew you would. We are dragons after all! We think alike!" exclaimed King Aerys II with a laugh that followed.

"In regards to my future, I was thinking of how I could contribute my life to serving the Seven Kingdoms with my skills," said Sub-Zero with King Aerys II nodding since he was thinking the same thing.

"Yes. Your skills in combat and archery are most impressive. There are a few in all of the Seven Kingdoms who could fight and possibly win against you in a fight. Such skills and abilities will be a thing of legend, written into song, and sung by the bards on the streets," said King Aerys II with a laugh that made his Queen/wife/sister cringe slightly.

"In regards to my skill, I wish to rebuild my clan. Or rather my House if you will. Where I am from it was not built entirely on blood. We took in orphans, the homeless, and any other we saw with potential. I wish to restore my clan to its former glory here in the Seven Kingdoms. With your permission of course," said Sub-Zero with King Aerys II looking at him in thought and apparently listening to an invisible voice next to him.

"And what would your clan do once restored?" asked King Aerys II curiously.

"We would be a pillar that assists in holding the Seven Kingdoms together. To find and seek enemies that would wish to destroy and cause chaos within your domain. To protect the very people who live under your rule and from those who would wish them harm in their quest to destroy the stability of the Seven Kingdoms," said Sub-Zero while seeing Varys smile slightly and Tywin was interested in such an ambitious undertaking since it would take many years for such a thing to happen.

"I have many enemies within the Seven Kingdoms. Some within the High Lords possibly. Or the very Houses who have sworn fealty to them. They wouldn't dare fight against their Liege Lord alone, but if the smaller Houses were to unit and rally a strong enough army, it would be disastrous. And what you are proposing will take years, many years in fact, to complete your plans," said King Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding since he knew it would take time.

"Which is why I need the support of the High Lords and Wardens from each of the Seven Kingdoms to provide additional support to add to your own," replied Sub-Zero with the men in the room looking a tad surprised.

"And in what are you offering these High Lords and the Wardens of the North, South, East, and West that would make them keep the lower Houses in line?" asked King Aerys II curiously.

"Simple. I intend to become a teacher to their Heirs. Including yours," said Sub-Zero with King Aerys II looking at him for a second before he laughed like he was told a joke.

"Not to throw away such a generous idea Master Liang, but what exactly could you teach my Heir or the Heirs to the other Great Houses of Westeros?" asked Tywin curiously, as he found the idea intriguing, but dared not say as much in front of the King.

"As you know, I am a foreigner. I am not from Westeros. But it is because I am different, I can show them things they would never experience in their lifetime. I can provide them with a firm education on the ways of war, strategy, and how to fight," said Sub-Zero with the King's laughter ending and drinking some wine.

"Your proposal is indeed interesting my fellow dragon. But many of these Heirs either know how to fight or are already being taught how to fight. While I am sure your way of fighting and teaching would be interesting, I doubt many would allow a foreigner to teach their Heirs. They would most likely feel you are going to poison the minds of their Heirs, turn them from the faith of the Seven, or overall family traditions," said King Aerys II before he laughed again like it was funny to see the Heirs to the High Lords and Wardens betray their families.

"I would do nothing of the sort. Which is why I propose your son and Heir, Rheagar, join my class with the other Heirs to show your support. If the King of the Seven Kingdoms entrusts his own son and Heir to learning from someone like myself, it would make them send their Heirs as well," said Sub-Zero while King Aerys II nodding and thinking it over in his head.

"I would be willing to have my son join such a class and learn under Master Liang your Grace. If both the King and the Hand send both their Heirs to learn under him, it would show the crown believes there is something for them to learn. You did choose wisely in making him your Champion during the melee and archery competition. They will not be able to question your actions after that or my own support," added Tywin while seeing this as a chance to give Jamie some additional education and maybe a means to get the boy from constantly hiding behind his Father.

"Many would be curious to see what Master Liang would be able to teach them and if it would benefit their House's in the future. At the very least, it will hold off any dissent throughout the Seven Kingdoms your Grace. If Master Liang's teachings were in fact productive, it would make many see that your decisions regarding him to be the right ones. The whole of the Seven Kingdoms would benefit from his actions and all would know it was through your decision to support it," said Varys while he saw the King now looking more interested in the idea.

"You say you wish to help train my son? Into being a true dragon? A proper dragon?!" asked Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I can even teach him a fighting style said to imitate a dragon. Where I am from, we have various fighting styles based off of animals. One such fighting style I myself learned was the Dragon fighting style," said Sub-Zero while the King was now fully focused on him.

"A fighting style of a dragon you say?! It's settled! You will teach my son and the other Heirs of the Seven Kingdoms what you know. _BUT_ , you _must_ teach my son this Dragon fighting style! No objections!" exclaimed Aerys II with a madness filled look in his eyes.

"I accept the condition your Grace. I will need a place, materials, and access to resources capable of helping in my means to teach them," said Sub-Zero while glancing at Varys and Tywin knowing those two could be crucial to such things.

The King provided his authoritative blessing. Tywin would provide the influence. Varys supplied materials, servants, and resources.

"All will be provided and anything required will be obtained for your use my fellow dragon. I hope to see your clan rise to become something great. Varys! You will assist him in gathering potential recruits to his clan. Under his leadership, we will have a true friend of the Crown!" stated Aerys II with Varys nodding, but the Spider knew that the Lin Kuei would not be loyal to the Crown.

Not exclusively.

Varys knew what Sub-Zero intended for the revival of his clan. It was clear to him as nose on his face. Sub-Zero would build his clan to be a third entity in the world. One that was truly loyal to the Seven Kingdoms, but none of their Princes, Wardens, Liege Lords, or even the Kings that sat on the Iron Throne. A clan that would destroy any and all those who would put the Seven Kingdoms in true danger. The minor battles and wars that could be contained wouldn't matter to Sub-Zero's clan or their purpose. It would only be when these wars became a danger to the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms or an invasion from Essos, if ever happened, would the clan intervene, and show their true might.

That was something Varys could get behind and allying with Sub-Zero would be the best way to do it since this would help protect the smallfolk from harm. Many High Lords had waged war with each other in the past throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Their very armies marching, killing, pillaging, raping, and murdering any who stood in their path. Not once did these men care for the smallfolk because they felt the Gods would forgive them or the smallfolk themselves were beneath them.

"Thank you for this your Grace. I promise, you will not regret this decision," said Sub-Zero with King Aerys II looking at him intently through his madness filled gaze.

"For your own sake my fellow dragon, I should hope not," replied King Aerys II with the hidden threat staring Sub-Zero right in the face.

(A Few Miles from King's Landing-Seven Months Later)

"I don't get it Ned. Why do we have to be here for this shit? I would rather be back in the Vale. At least there it doesn't smell like horse shit," said Robert Baratheon in a grumbling angry tone.

"You heard Lord Arryn. We have to attend. My Father and your Father agreed. Even my brother Brandon will be attending to see if he can learn something from this man," said Eddard or as Robert called him "Ned" Stark while they rode their horses side by side to the designated area with their House bannermen escorting them to the designated location provided.

"Piss on that Ned! I want to hit something and I can easily do that in the Vale or in the Stormlands without having to smell shit everywhere," said Robert with a sigh and gave a glance back at his younger brother Stannis Baratheon.

Their Father wanted them to learn under this foreigner, who from what they had heard was made the King's Champion during the tournament during the Prince's last nameday. Robert and Ned had been fostered over to Jon Arryn at the Vale for four months now when a raven arrived for Jon Arryn telling him it was time and their new instructor would be teaching them.

Stannis had also been sent because their Father thought it would give Robert a chance to bond more with his brother so they wouldn't be too far apart during this time.

Further behind them was Jamie Lannister along with his Father, Tywin Lannister, who were having a conversation of their own.

"Is this really necessary Father? Learning from a foreigner? And all because he won two out of three parts in a tournament and was made the King's Champion for it. Isn't that a little...much?" said Jamie while Tywin looked at his son with a cold glare.

"The fact you ask me such a question after over half a year since the tournament further proves you need to learn from him Jamie. The man was the head of his own house before an internal strife brought it to ruin with him being the only survivor," said Tywin since he and Sub-Zero had several conversations within the Tower of the Hand about the Lin Kuei clan.

"Doesn't that further prove this foreigner isn't qualified to teach us anything?" remarked Jamie with Tywin's scowl increasing.

"The fault in the clan he served before it failed was not his own. They grew strong and prospered under him. Outside forces who they pledged to serve wanted them removed out of madness and used a few ambitious fools within to tear it apart. No one, not even our own House is immune from such things. Or do I need to remind you what happened with your Grandfather and the two rebelling Houses, which I had to put down to ensure no one did it again?" Tywin countered with Jamie looking down in embarrassment and shame.

"I just don't see what this man can teach me that you can't Father," said Jamie with Tywin looking toward the compound which had been put together at the order of the King.

"You will see soon enough," said Tywin with an air of finality to it.

While this was happening, Ser Barristan along with a small group of the Kingsguard were also on horseback with young Prince Rheagar. The Prince had a slightly sullen look on his face since he was as unsure about learning from the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. His Father would go on a madness filled rant to him about how another dragon would be teaching his son, and how to turn him into a "true dragon". But Rheagar didn't want to become a "true dragon" like his Father believed he could become under the Grandmaster. He just wanted to rule justly, have subjects who were happy, and one day be remembered as a great King.

"Do not worry my Prince. Master Liang has assured me that while he will be strict in his teaching methods, he will never be cruel. If anything, his way of teaching maybe exactly what you need to become a great King one day," said Ser Barristan with Rheagar looking uncertainly at him.

"Do you believe that Ser Barristan?" asked Rheagar while Ser Barristan smiled at the Prince he was sworn to serve and protect.

"With all my heart my Prince. Master Liang will teach you and the others everything and anything there is to know on how to become a better person in life. The better you are as a person, the better you will be as a King when ruling on the Iron Throne one day," said Ser Barristan with Rheagar smiling at the loyal Kingsguard.

"Thank you for your words Ser Barristan. Know when I become King, your loyalty to my House and to me will be rewarded," said Rheagar with Ser Barristan bowing humbly.

"Serving you is reward enough my Prince. I merely wish for you to become the King I already know you can be," said Ser Barristan while they rode toward the compound.

"It seems a bit...weird in its construction," commented Brandon Stark while gazing at the structure Sub-Zero had asked to be constructed as his place to train his students.

"From what I know, it is quite similar in design to the one back where Master Liang is from and ran his clan. Now remember, when you address him Brandon, it must be either be as sensei, teacher, or Grandmaster. Understand?" said Rickard with Brandon nodding.

"I just hope we can learn something while here," commented Edmure Tully while he had dismounted his horse while his Uncle Blackfish dismounted behind him.

"Like showing respect and intelligence when addressing your instructor when learning from the man. Do not act like an idiot around him nephew," commented Blackfish Tully while Edmure scowled at him.

Only for Sub-Zero to be standing there with his arms behind his back, in full Lin Kuei armor, and mask with his intense stare gazing at them.

"Welcome. All of you. Heirs and Lords who could attend. During your time here at this training compound, you will learn under me and what I have to teach that will benefit your futures. Not only the future that will be your life, but the future of your Houses. While here, you will be learning not only how to fight, but learn how to rule over the House from which you will inherit from your Fathers. Before we begin, know that despite your titles, your Father's titles, and the influence they may have over the Seven Kingdoms, they count for nothing here. I do not play favorites. I do not care if you are the son of the King or a bastard son of a High Lord seeking to have you prove yourself. In my eyes, you are equal in terms of status, and no one here can claim to be better than the other. I won't allow it!" stated Sub-Zero while he gave each Lord and Heir a hard look.

"Piss on that! Are you telling me that being an Heir to the Stormlands counts to shit with you?!" questioned Robert while Ned grimaced at his sworn brother's brash words.

"Yes. Even though the Prince himself will be here, learning like the rest of you, there will be no special treatment. Everything he will learn, you will learn. Nothing more. Nothing less," answered Sub-Zero while walking toward them and glancing at his chosen students for this form of teaching.

"How long will be learning from you Grandmaster?" said Ned since he had overheard his Father talking about being polite to this man.

"Until I deem fit. Your parents will be given monthly reports on your progress and my own recommendations based on what I see during your time here. Any and all reports will be truthful. No lies. No deceit. I will not embellish or lie to them. If I say you are lacking in a skill, I say because it is true. If I say you are doing well, it is because my words are true," said Sub-Zero while glaring at each Heir to make them understand he would not lie in any shape or form just to appease their Fathers.

"What will we be learning exactly?" asked Edmure Tully curiously.

"You will find out tomorrow. For now, I will show you all to your rooms. Each of you will be assigned a one person room. While here, it can be altered to your own unique specifications, but within reason. However, I will make something very clear to each and everyone here. This is a place to learn, to grow, and become something better. It is not a place where you can relax and do nothing. You are here to learn what I have to teach. If any of you are found slacking off, I will remove you from this compound, and I will be informing your Father or foster Father of my disappointment so they can punish you in their own way," said Sub-Zero firmly while motioning for all of them to follow him into the compound.

They walked through the corridor with different rooms for different purposes. Some were locked since they were restricted to only Sub-Zero with the Grandmaster holding the only key. After walking to the second floor of the building, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster showed them where their quarters were located with each one living next to the other. Each room was the exact same size as the other to further prove that not one of his new students was unequal to the others here.

"Your schedule starts tomorrow morning when the Sun rises. I expect you up when it does. I will not allow anyone of you to sleep in. Every moment you waste is a moment you waste my time. Of your Father's time in sending you here. And the time of the Heirs here who wish to learn. If you cannot handle the simple task of waking up at the time the Sun rises, speak up now so I can expect you to leave immediately," said Sub-Zero while many in the room were taken back by this.

"Aren't you being a tad unreasonable?" asked Edmure with Sub-Zero's eyes looking at him with an intensity that made the young Tully shrink back slightly.

"Unreasonable? Hardly. When I was training in my clan before leading, it was the strict policy of all members to awaken either before or when the Sun rose into the sky. If you failed to do so, you were dragged out of bed, tied to a post, and whipped violently until the Sun rose to the middle of the day. The only reprieve from the whip was when there was a rotation on the clan member carrying out the punishment," said Sub-Zero firmly while Edmure gulped fearfully and even Jamie looked a tad nervous.

"You would do that to us if we failed to rise with the Sun? asked Ned while worried for Robert since the man did not rise with the Sun and was quite mouthy at times.

"Fortunately, for all of you, the answer is no. But the punishment you would endure is not something to risk all the same," answered Sub-Zero with the Heirs and their family with them letting out a small sigh of relief.

Even Tywin Lannister was grateful since the idea of his son being whipped ruthlessly for simply not rising with the Sun left a bad image in his mind.

"How can you expect us to rise with the Sun when none of us ever have before today?" asked Robert while Ned was wondering about that too.

"Learn. Since none of you have ever had to make the attempt, I am giving you one week to adjust to that change. One week. If you can't do that, you are gone. No exceptions. If you can't handle this one simple task, you can't handle what follows," said Sub-Zero, as he walked away from them.

"And what follows exactly?" asked Jamie before Sub-Zero stopped and looked back at him.

"Pain...and the strength that goes with it," said Sub-Zero before he went to handle other matters.

"Come on my Prince. Let's get you settled into your room," said Ser Barristan who had taken the role of foster Father and decided to help the Prince get settled in.

"This better be worth it Ned," commented Robert before entering his room and Stannis entering the one on the left next to it without saying a word with a serious expression on his face.

Ned sighed and entered his room to the right of Robert's to assess his own living space.

"Still think this foreigner knows what he's doing?" asked Jamie with Tywin glaring at his son.

"More then ever. Do as Master Liang says and stay out of trouble. I will be waiting for the monthly progress report. I expect results. I do not want to come back here in a week and find out that simply rising with the Sun was too much for you," said Tywin with his son scowling at him.

"As if I would let something so simple stop me," remarked Jamie while Tywin wasn't as convinced.

"Not everything is as easy as it looks. That is the reason he is giving you a week to learn how," said Tywin before he decided to leave so his son could get settled.

The boy was going to have a hard time ahead of him. Just like the others.

(Lin Kuei Compound-The Next Day)

Sub-Zero had to give credit where credit was due to his young charges. Out of all of the student before him, only Jamie and Robert were unable to rise with the Sun. Ned and Stannis had tried to help Robert, but the blusterous boy was impossible to control, much less listen to reason. Both Ned and Stannis were shown to be the more responsible of the students under his guidance. They had understood right away the concept of what it meant to rise with the Sun since it allowed more to be done during the day. Ned's older brother Brandon did as well and had actually awoken shortly after the Sun had risen.

Prince Rheagar understood since a King must rise with the day no matter what and spent the entire week trying to complete this task. Nearby, Ser Barristan was awake in his own uniform, and was out of the quarters Sub-Zero provided for him. The man was truly loyal to Rheagar and wished to fulfill his duties as a member of the Kingsguard to ensure that no one attempted to assassinate the Prince. While unlikely given how he would never allow it and the defenses in place would alert him of any intruders, the Lin Kuei warrior allowed the man to stay on the grounds that there would be no interference. Ser Barristan agreed since the King himself wouldn't allow anyone to interfere with his son learning from another dragon.

Even Edmure Tully managed to get his form out of bed, but it was clear the boy was extremely tired from getting out of bed so early in the morning.

The only ones who Sub-Zero saw issues with was Robert and Jamie. One being stubborn to the point where you give up on reasoning with him on something. The other one being arrogant in the belief that his Father would not allow anything bad happen to him.

Which is why Sub-Zero made sure to wait until his students who were awake were front and center outside their rooms dressed in their bed clothes. Soon after waiting a full ten minutes, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster silently went to Jamie Lannister's room with a bucket of _ice cold_ water and splashed it on the boy's body.

And causing the Lannister boy to make a very unmanly shriek before Jamie was dragged out of his room, in soaking wet sleep clothes by Sub-Zero for everyone to see.

Surprisingly, the sounds made by Jamie did not wake up Robert Baratheon from his own slumber. Which was fine with Sub-Zero since he had another bucket of ice cold water on hand and did not hesitate to dump it on an unsuspecting Robert.

Who unlike Jamie, yelled out in frustration, cursing up a storm, and threatening to put the head of whoever did that to him on a pike. Only to be hit in the back of his head and was dragged out of the room by Sub-Zero to stand there with everyone else.

Naturally, Robert and Jamie glared at the others around them to ensure they didn't laugh at their humiliating experience. Fortunately, no one did, but not because of the glare. It was more likely they knew this could happen to them and didn't want to risk such a thing happening to their person.

Adding in Sub-Zero's own glare for everyone to not laugh also helped.

"For those of you who are attempting to do what I asked, you are to be commended. I know it is not easy for you now. But in time, you will learn to control your mind, and your body to rise at a designated time. In the future, when each of you are full grown adults, this will seem like a minor task that any child can do. For those of you who have _failed_ to do what I ask, I strongly recommend that you try harder before the end of the week. For now, get dressed before meeting me in the Main Hall to eat breakfast. If you are not there fully dressed and ready for the day within 15 minutes, you will not eat until much later on, and only under my authority. Do you understand?" said Sub-Zero with his charges nodding though Robert and Jamie were glaring at him before they went to their rooms.

(Main Hall-15 Minutes Later)

"Fucking cunt of a teacher! Soaking me like that. For a moment, I thought I was thrown into the fucking Narrow Sea!" complained Robert to Ned when they sat down to eat.

"You were warned Robert. You're lucky he is not going by what his own teachers did to those who disobeyed their instructors?" questioned Ned with concern for Robert while the Baratheon grumbled about how "his sworn brother was siding with heartless cunts".

"Young Stark is right brother," said Stannis while finding himself slightly eager to learn under the Grandmaster.

"Piss off Stannis! You're lucky we have the same blood or I would punch your teeth out!" exclaimed Robert angrily at his younger brother.

"Robert," said Ned with a sigh escaping him.

"I just hope the food served here is good," commented Jamie since he wondered how they would eat.

"I am more curious about the training. I hope it is as enlightening as our Fathers claim," said Rheagar while Brandon, Ned, and Stannis nodded in agreement.

"It better be or I'll spear him to a wall," threatened Robert angrily.

"You are far too young and inexperienced to succeed in carrying out your threat young Baratheon," commented Sub-Zero who walked into the Main Hall and looked to see how everyone was present.

Good. No one would have to starve for half the day.

"Robert. Don't do something stupid," whispered Ned while Robert looked ready to get out of his seat to fight the Grandmaster.

"Since all of you are here, we can begin our meal for the today. Cooks and servants were graciously provided from the Red Keep to come here. You will treat them with respect while they are here. No insults. No humiliating commands. No orders to do any and all tasks I assign to you. Any form of disrespect toward them while they are here will be met with severe... _consequences_ ," said Sub-Zero while glaring at Jamie and Robert since they were the ones who most likely do that sort of thing.

"What happens following breakfast?" asked Edmure curiously.

"Your training starts. And it does not end until the Sun sets or I say otherwise," said Sub-Zero before he snaps his fingers and the servants came out with the food and drink.

Only for Robert to nearly choke on his drink.

"What the fuck is this? This isn't wine!" exclaimed Robert angrily while Sub-Zero was not intimidated by the boy's sudden outburst.

"Nor will you drink it while here. Not only are you too young to drink wine, it dulls the senses if you have too much. While living here, you will drink water, juice, tea, and milk. This very principle applies to eating the food prepared in this compound. Only healthy foods will be provided in order to help your body grow. Anything you eat here will be of the healthy variety. This will help ensure your overall health is extended and your body becomes strong in the years to come during the crucial years of development," said Sub-Zero while Robert grumbled at how unfair it was to not drink wine.

"Just endure it Robert. You can drink wine after becoming a full grown adult," said Ned while he saw Robert glare at him despite being right about the issue.

"When you are finished eating, return to your assigned rooms. Once there, you will find on your bed several rolls of parchment, a writing quill, and a bottle of ink for writing. Once obtained, meet me in the room I have marked on the door with the number forty five. I expect see all of you there soon. You have an entire hour to eat and twenty minutes to come to the room where we will start your lessons. Do not be late," said Sub-Zero before he left the room.

Not wanting to be punished or disciplined by Sub-Zero, the group of young future Lords quickly ate their meals before heading to their rooms. Sure enough, they found the items mentioned were there on the beds before picking them up. Deciding to find the room their teacher had told them was numbered forty five, the group eventually looked and located it.

Ned suggested they knock first, but Robert being Robert said "piss on that Ned!", and proceeded to enter the room like he owned it. Only to freeze when he met the cold gaze of Sub-Zero, which immediately reminded Robert that he was not the one in charge of this place.

"I see you all made it. Good. Each of you has an assigned seat. Sit down," said Sub-Zero while waiting for his students to sit in their assigned seats.

"With all due respect sensei, we were under the impression you would be teaching us how to fight," said Brandon Stark with a hint of curiosity.

"And I will. But first, you must learn how to think before you learn how to fight," said Sub-Zero while everyone in front of him looked confused.

"Think before fighting?" asked Jamie in confusion.

"Yes. Anyone can pick up a sword, spear, knife, or any other item to use as a weapon in combat against someone. But a true leader and warrior thinks before he acts. In this room, I will be teaching you how to use your mind before you learn how to use a weapon," said Sub-Zero while Rheagar, Ned, Brandon, and Stannis were more focused.

Edmure was confused. Jamie was uncertain. And Robert was looking angry.

"What?! I don't need to know how to think when it comes to fighting. All I have to do is thrust my sword into some shit in front of me and watch his guts come out," said Robert with Sub-Zero sighing in minor frustration at the boy's lack of understanding.

"If you wish to be Lord of the Stormlands one day young Robert, it is required that you understand how things work. Without a strong mind to go with a strong body, your life will not be balanced. An unbalanced life will result in misery and suffering for you and those you care about. Do you think your Father or Jamie Lannister's Father focus on just fighting? That Brandon and Eddard Stark's Father relied on swords, shields, and spears alone? What about Holster Tully? Do you think the Riverlands are run by a mindless fool who prefers to punch and fight over thinking how to run his territory as a Liege Lord?" said Sub-Zero with Robert looking like he was struggling to keep his anger in check.

"So you are instructing us on how to run our various Kingdoms and lands we will inherit one day from our Fathers," surmised Stannis with Sub-Zero nodding.

"If that is true, why are Stannis and the younger Stark here? Neither can lay claim unless their older brothers die and have no children of their own," said Jamie while not seeing the reason behind the younger family members joining them here.

"Because there may come a day when Robert Baratheon or Brandon Stark die without any Heirs to their name. Granted, such a situation seems impossible now, or you do not believe will happen anytime soon. But it does not mean it _cannot_ _happen_. If there is a war with Robert and Brandon riding off to join, who runs the Stormlands or the North?" said Sub-Zero with a sense of understanding appearing in their eyes.

"Stannis Baratheon and Eddard Stark," replied Edmure with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Correct. Say a war came with Brandon and Robert riding off to fight in it. This leaves both Stannis and Eddard to rule over their territories in place of their older brothers. If neither of them are equipped to run the Stormlands or the North, both territories will fall to ruin. By teaching the Heirs and their siblings what they need on how to rule, I help ensure the future of these territories, and your House are secured," said Sub-Zero with each student now looking at him in understanding.

Even Robert understood despite his pissed off attitude toward the Grandmaster.

"Now, I have spoke or written to each of your Fathers on the subjects you have already been taught by your previous instructors. We will continue where they left off and in some cases, repeat what they taught for those here who have not learned it yet," said Sub-Zero while intending to put his own way of teaching them what it took to rule.

Sub-Zero intended to alter the landscape on this supposed Game of Thrones and become an influential piece in it.

But first, he had some students to train. With any luck some more should come along if the time permits.

And if he was really lucky, his entire clan would rise again.

(A/N: YAY! Another update. Hope you liked. Remember, Sub-Zero is trying to gain some good will with some of the major Houses in the Seven Kingdoms, but he can't get all of them. Not yet. Plus, this is during the time before Robert's Rebellion when he was still a young kid becoming a young man. This will give Sub-Zero time to rebuild the Lin Kuei again for when this story starts when Season 1 of the show starts. With him now in the Game, not everything will be what it was in the show. Until next time...PEACE!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-Increased Influence

Sub-Zero was always a patient man. Even as a boy being trained as a member of the Lin Kuei, he knew the value of patience. Both when learning from his instructors and when teaching his own recruits back in Earthrealm. And naturally, his patience was rewarded with some of his more wild recruits actually showing promise and potential.

Sadly, even the most patient man has limits. And right now, Robert Baratheon was trying his right now.

"Piss on this training! There is no way this shit is possible!" exclaimed Robert after he fell off the tightrope into the thick pile of hay below to cushion his fall.

And throwing a tantrum in the process.

"It is possible young Robert. Your problem is the lack of focus," said Sub-Zero while he along with the rest of the student before him were watching.

Jamie Lannister and Edmure Tully trying to hide their smirks.

"I am focused! I have been focused since the fucking first day we all arrived here to this shitty building!" Robert shouted back with his temper commanding his mouth.

"If you were focused, you wouldn't have fallen into the hay. Your foot work is not correct and as a result your balance on the tightrope is uneven. It is no wonder you can barely go three to five steps before falling," said Sub-Zero while Robert growled angrily.

"And you can do better? Mr. Teacher of the fucking impossible!" challenged Robert with Sub-Zero nodding.

"When I was your age? I had could walk the tightrope with ease. You are fortunate the tightrope is low to the ground and there is hay to cover your fall. My instructors made sure the rope was _higher_ off the ground and the hay was replaced with shallow water. _Cold_ shallow water. And they didn't care if you were soaked, cold, or got sick as a result of not changing your clothes. You had to do the tightrope until getting from beginning to the end. None of you were trained at birth to do what it is I can do and as such, you are not being given the same level of difficulty I was given. I do not need your Houses being my enemies because of a training accident," said Sub-Zero before he made his way to the tightrope and casually walked it as easily as he walking on solid ground with his hands behind his back.

"Impressive," remarked Rheagar while watching Sub-Zero's footwork intently and not seeing an ounce of hesitation.

"It is all about balance. Knowing how to walk when the ground around you is thin as a layer of string. While you may never have to face that prospect, it doesn't hurt to make sure your footwork doesn't suffer for it. The balance is key to your footwork when you swing a sword, a spear, or...even a war hammer," said Sub-Zero while Ser Barristan gave a nod since he was watching too.

"Master Liang is right. Any man can wield a sword or a spear or a war hammer. But if they lack proper footwork, they are clumsy, and will miss their target almost every single time," added Ser Barristan while the Heirs around him nodded in understanding.

"Footwork? Piss on that! With my war hammer, I could hit three, maybe four men at once in a single swing. All the shits would have to do is charge toward me," said Robert with Ned mentally sighing at his sworn brother's words.

"And what if one of them is skilled enough to see the swing coming, ducks low in a roll to avoid the hit? What if he gets inside your defense and pierces your chest armor or your skull? Skill and power make a deadly combination. Power without skill will only work so well half the time. The same can be said regarding skill without power. You must have the balance of both if you are to become a great warrior or fighter," said Sub-Zero before he finished the tightrope and jumped down.

"I still say you are full of shit," said Robert while Sub-Zero mentally sighed at the boy's brash and stubborn behavior.

And he thought Johnny Cage was full of himself.

"And yet I am the one who can walk the tightrope without falling," said Sub-Zero with Robert's glare increasing slightly.

"Fuck your tightrope! I bet you wouldn't be able to best me if I was full grown with my war hammer!" exclaimed Robert with Ned sending a warning glance to his friend, which was ignored.

"Really? You think your skills are superior to mine? A boy who has not seen combat and with training, which up until you came here, had the finesse of a drunken butcher?" asked Sub-Zero, as he saw Robert get increasingly angry.

"I don't need my war hammer to best you! I can take any sword here and use it to cut open your belly to spill your shit filled guts out onto the ground," said Robert with Sub-Zero not looking impressed.

"Really? Any sword you say? Let us put this to the test. Ser Barristan, if you would be so kind and give young Robert your sword?" asked Sub-Zero with everyone looking at him in shock.

"Master Liang?" questioned Ser Barristan with Sub-Zero never taking his eyes off a now cautious and curious Robert.

"Your sword is some of the finest quality here when compared to the dull training swords provided to us. I don't want young Robert to think he lost due to the quality of his blade being low in standards," said Sub-Zero while Ser Barristan looking hesitant for a second, but a nod from the Prince assured him it was okay.

"I expect this back and in one piece," remarked Ser Barristan while handing his weapon to Robert.

"You'll get it back, but it will stained in his fucking blood," replied Robert with Sub-Zero watching him calmly.

"Ready when you are young Lord," commented Sub-Zero while his hands were behind his back calmly.

And without hesitation, Robert charged at him the Grandmaster. Swinging this way and that. Using his strength and speed to make up for his lack of skill. If anything, the sword was light in his hands. Robert was always bulky in terms of muscle when growing up and tried to stay active in terms of fighting, hunting, and had started to notice sexual presence of girls that made his loins stir.

And for the last couple of weeks, Robert had been reduced to sitting in a room with other Heirs from other parts of the Seven Kingdoms. Learning how to do this and that on how to be a smart Lord ruling over his territory. Piss on that! He was a fighter! A young boy who would one day be a man and fighting other men in battle! Not this shit where they _learn_ before fighting. Bah! His brother and Ned may want to learn those things, but not Robert.

As for Sub-Zero, he was calm during this whole exchange. Dodging his opponent with ease. Each move, each swing, was telegraphed easily enough to know where the sword was being swung before Robert even tried. At one point, Robert swung high to take off Sub-Zero's head, only for the Grandmaster to perform a leg sweep, which sent Robert onto his ass with a loud "thud!" sound.

"Still think you can stain Ser Barristan's sword with my blood?" asked Sub-Zero with Robert snarling and getting up to try again.

"Hold still!" demanded Robert while he tried to swing at Sub-Zero again, but found his opponent kept dodging.

"You have speed and power young Robert. There is no denying that. But without skill, finesse, and proper footwork, you might as well be telling me how you are going to strike before you strike," commented Sub-Zero before dodging another sword swing, grabbing Robert's wrist, and tossing the young Lord several feet with ease.

"Fuck you!" exclaimed Robert before he threw the sword down and stomped off.

"Forgive him Master Liang. Robert is a stubborn man as I'm sure you already know. I will go talk to him," said Ned before he ran off to help his friend curb his temper.

"He's quick to anger that one," said Ser Barristan after Jamie picked up the sword and gave it to him.

"It will be the young Baratheon's undoing one day if he is not careful," commented Sub-Zero before focusing on his remaining students.

"Give him time. He is young," commented Ser Barristan knowing young boys can be rowdy in their youth, but calm down as time tempers them.

"Time may only make him worse," added Sub-Zero with Ser Barristan grimacing since that was also true as well.

Both men just hoped Robert didn't get worse as time went on.

(Several Months Later-The Strategy Room)

If there was one thing Sub-Zero always loved to do, it was get some mental insight into the minds of his students. To know how they think. What they are thinking. And how they will act upon their line of thinking. He found the best way to gain such insight was through games and how his students acted in competitions.

And there was no better strategy game to do that when it came to the mind then Go. An abstract strategy game to be sure, but one that was effective, involves cunning, and was a means to explore one's mind in the ways of war before war even begins.

So far, the only students who really showed promise in the ways of strategy using this game were Prince Rheagar, Brandon Stark, and Stannis Baratheon. Prince Rheagar had clearly shown he planned his decision before making a move. Stannis showed the same way of thinking. Brandon took a little longer to understand the game since he was use to thinking and planning with an illustrative table showing all of Seven Kingdoms.

Naturally, Sub-Zero experimented with this concept as well. He saw how the others show they had a mind for strategy when using this concept, but the Lin Kuei had them use the concept of Go. He even mixed things around by providing random realistic moments in time where weather or lack of supplies would stall an army's advancement. He would pit the students against each other or against himself. Sure enough, each student showed a slow understanding for strategy with the exception of Jamie and Robert.

For Robert, he liked the idea of charging his forces right up against anything that stood in his way. The boy also showed signs of being a violent sore loser. Throwing the table over and storming out after losing five times in a row to different people.

Jamie said he would simply have a messenger walk into the enemy camp and sing the Rains of Castamere to remind the people opposing him of his Father. The fear that came with the song would get them to either bend the knee or turn on each other to appease him. Sub-Zero reminded Jamie that his Father would not be alive forever and it was his duty as the man's son to live past the man's shadow.

Not easy to do, but Sub-Zero didn't want the boy to constantly rely on his Father to get him out of any situation.

Sadly, Jamie's arrogance on the issue didn't seem to quell over this warning. Granted, the boy was young, thinking his Father was untouchable. Invincible even. But given time, the Grandmaster knew Jamie would think otherwise.

Though when that happened would be another story all together.

As time went by, it was clear his students were going to be a handful growing up.

"How are things between you and your brother?" asked Sub-Zero to Stannis while they played a game of Go.

"He is angry. As usual. My brother enjoys the physical application of fighting. I honestly don't know what to do Grandmaster. I try to bond with him as my brother, but he keeps his distance from me. Young Eddard Stark is more of a brother to him," said Stannis with a sense of bitterness in his voice.

"I see. And young Lord Stark? Have you talked with him about this?" asked Sub-Zero with Stannis making a noise.

"No. I thought if I did, it would make things more complicated. You know how close those two are Grandmaster. They are sworn brothers acting more like they were brothers by blood. And Robert is expected to one day marry Ned's sister when both come of age, which means they one day will be bound by it," said Stannis with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Young Stark is an honorable man Stannis. You know that. While he is loyal to Robert without question, I doubt the young Lord wants both Baratheon brothers to not be close to one another like they should. Talk to Ned Stark and share your concerns. Sometimes sharing the weight helps lighten the burden. Especially if you go to the right person to ask for help," said Sub-Zero with Stannis nodding before he frowned and relooked at the Go board.

"I lost. Again," grumbled Stannis with Sub-Zero smirking.

"And you will lose many more in the future young Stannis. But for every defeat, you learn more about yourself. You will learn more about your opponent. And in time, you will be learn how to beat me at this game," replied Sub-Zero with Stannis scowling less, but still a tad frustrated.

Still, Stannis knew he was growing stronger. Both mentally and physically. Sub-Zero's combat training regiment. Eating properly. The various strategy games and other mental exercises to make the mind think outside of just blindly swinging a sword. Stannis could honestly say he was in the best shape of his young life ever since coming here. Hell, the young Baratheon could honestly say he _liked it_ here and there were few things in the Seven Kingdoms worth liking. Sadly, his place was in the Stormlands, and Stannis knew being here was only temporary.

But what he learned would always stay with him forever.

(Several Years Later)

Tywin Lannister marched through the Lin Kuei Compound with a purpose after getting off his horse while a servant held onto it the moment he dismounted. At the moment, Lord Tywin Lannister was furious. Angry. Filled with a rage he had not felt since two Houses rebelled against his own. Or maybe it was the simple fact the King refused the arranged marriage proposal between his daughter Cersei and Prince Rheagar.

And only one man who could possibly provide him assistance in fixing the wrong done to him, his legacy, and House Lannister was here. But first, Tywin needed answers to a few questions he had for the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei.

After entering the training grounds of the compound, Tywin stopped to see Sub-Zero was sparring with none other than Ser Arthur Dayne himself. A loyal knight of the Targaryens and of Dornish blood. The Sword of Morning was considered by many one of the greatest swordsman in the world. Many considered Ser Arthur Dayne to be tied in terms of skill with Ser Barristan himself in the ways of fighting and many wished to see them fight, but the King had forbidden it. He would not have _the_ two most skilled warriors in practically all the Seven Kingdoms, who were charged with defending him, and his son possibly be killed by the other in single combat.

"We have a guest and from the sound of him walking, it is important. We must postpone our spar, at least for now," said Sub-Zero after raising a hand for his opponent to stop.

"A pity. Our fight was truly interesting. I learned a lot already from this one alone. I shall inform Prince Doran of this and what you taught me immediately. I believe he will wish to speak to you soon. Thank you for your time Grandmaster," said Ser Arthur before he bowed toward his teacher and left without a word.

"I need to speak with you. In private," said Tywin firmly with his voice stating refusal was not an option.

In the last several years, the Lin Kuei slowly grew in size. From simple servants who were attending the compound to actual members. Young orphans were key prospects for recruitment into the clan. Sub-Zero and his older brother had been recruited back when they were children, never really knowing their parents since the memory of them was so faded. Many of these orphans he took in were bastards or parents who lost their family to one thing Westeros had to offer. Bandits, violent hill tribe members, starvation, and any other thing related to death with orphans being produced as a result.

Hence why several groups of orphans from all over Westeros were sent to him. From the North at Winterfell to South at Dorne. From the Vale in the East to the bastards born from High Lords in the West. Those chosen to be prospective members of the clan were sent to him after reading over the description of each one. Many of these children came from nothing and were hoping beyond hope, praying desperately that someone would adopt them into their House.

Sub-Zero had been an answer to their prayers.

Not only that, but in the years since he taught the young Heirs like Edmure Tully, Ned Stark, Brandon Stark, Stannis, Prince Rheagar, and Jamie Lannister the other Houses had sent their children too. The stories his "class" of students had provided their Fathers and Foster Fathers spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The training they all went through both mental and physical was now stuff of legend. Of course, not all the potentials from the various Heirs of Lords made the cut. Some didn't even make it past the first week to get up with the Sun rising. Some had laughed at the concept. Scoffed even. Some had said their Father wouldn't let them be kicked out for something like getting up early and threatened to have their Fathers call the House bannermen to march on the compound.

Sub-Zero ignored them for the duration of the week to see if they were capable of the task before throwing each Heir that failed out. Naturally, the Lords of these Houses had come to him with a small, but still impressive group of bannermen to intimidate the ice using Grandmaster.

Sub-Zero soon showed each Lord and their bannermen _why_ he was the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei by decimating each one with just his hand to hand combat skills alone. In fact, several of those men wouldn't be walking right or using their arms for quite some time.

"Has something happened to Jamie?" asked Sub-Zero since that could be the only reason Tywin would be here to see him outside of his business with the King.

"My son has joined the Kingsguard. Against my wishes," said Tywin before sitting down in a chair after arriving in the Grandmaster's office.

"I see. And you feel this is somehow related to me," assumed Sub-Zero while Tywin nodded before he saw the Grandmaster making some herbal tea concoction and poured two small cups with one going to the Lord of House Lannister.

"My son got it in his head to forsake his claim to his inheritance, his position, and any chance of having children by swearing an Oath to join the Kingsguard. In short, my son had figuratively castrated himself in the process. All my time invested in him has been wasted. Lost. Before I take this conversation further, I want to know if you had a hand in his line of thinking?" said Tywin before sipped the tea in front of him since the cup was small and gulping it down was considered rude in the Grandmaster's eyes.

That and it actually was good herbal tea. Almost as good as some of the more expensive wines he had tasted in the past. Still, it was slowly calming his nerves to the point where his mind was slightly clearer.

"No. I did not encourage him to join the Kingsguard. Ser Barristan did that all on his own after seeing Jamie's potential with a sword. He felt your son could one day use his skills to protect Prince Rheagar when ruling on the Iron Throne. However, your son did come to me for advice on whether he should join the Kingsguard after Ser Barristan talked to him," replied Sub-Zero while Tywin grimaced knowing Ser Barristan had that effect on people to convince them to join the Kingsguard.

"And what did you tell him?" asked Tywin curiously.

"That he should think about his decision before making it. To think about what it means to join the Kingsguard. What he was giving up. What you thought of it. I told him that while ultimately the decision was his to make and his alone...he had to think about it before saying yes or no. He had to think of the consequences of his actions before the action was made," said Sub-Zero while Tywin closed his eyes with a deeper scowl on his face.

"You didn't attempt to persuade him from joining," commented Tywin with Sub-Zero not looking the least bit intimidated.

"Your son is stubborn Lord Tywin. Not unlike you. Telling him no would only encourage him to say yes that much faster. I wanted him to make an _informed decision_ so when the time came to make it, there were no regrets. I told him to think about everything before he decided to join the Kingsguard. Whatever decision was made by Jamie, it was made by him and him alone," said Sub-Zero while Tywin let out a long agonizing breath.

"My son is many things. Sadly, a fool is one of them," said Tywin since his son had just forfeited his future to inherit House Lannister.

"I understand you have another son. Tyrion is his name, correct?" asked Sub-Zero with Tywin scowling deeper.

"Yes. My _deformed_ son. A dwarf no less," said Tywin angrily with spite in his voice.

"You are not happy with him," commented Sub-Zero with Tywin glaring at the man.

"My wife died bringing him into the world. He destroyed her womb through his birth and deformed body," said Tywin coldly while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"Your anger towards him is misplaced," remarked Sub-Zero while Tywin nearly made a fist and almost crushed the cup in his hands.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" asked Tywin coldly.

"Because normal children can kill their Mothers during the birth same just as deformed ones can. The only difference between those children and your son is that yours killed the woman you loved. Tell me, if it has been Jamie or Cersei who had done it, would you have been just as angry with them?" questioned Sub-Zero while Tywin now looked like was having an internal battle with himself.

"I honestly don't know. I loved my wife very much. She always had the power to make me smile and happy. And now because of my second son, she is no longer here among the living," said Tywin spitefully.

"Do not let how your wife died determine things with your son Lord Tywin. He may just surprise you in the future if given the chance," said Sub-Zero while Tywin didn't look the least bit convinced.

"Unlikely," said Tywin with Sub-Zero thinking for a moment.

"Send him to me when he old enough," said Sub-Zero suddenly out of the blue.

"What?" asked Tywin curiously.

"Send your son Tyrion to me when older. If you are so concerned about him being a form of deep shame to your House, I can gauge his value for myself. Besides, what he lacks physically, the boy could make up for it with his mind," offered Sub-Zero while Tywin thought it over in his mind very carefully.

"I see no problem with that. I only ask that you keep my son from doing anything stupid that would shame House Lannister. Jamie has already done so by joining the Kingsguard and forfeiting his titles. I don't want to know what Tyrion will do when he is old enough to do something foolish," replied Tywin with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Rest assured, I will keep you informed of your youngest son's actions while under my care when the time comes to send him to me," said Sub-Zero while watching Tywin rise from his chair and keep his serious, yet calm composure.

"While I do not expect much from Tyrion, I am hoping he won't be a disappointment for a son all the same," said Tywin before he left the room.

(Red Keep-Throne Room)

"You wanted to see me your Grace?" asked Sub-Zero after he bowed in respect the King in front of him sitting on the Iron Throne with member of the Court around him.

"Yes. I have been talking to my Master of Whispers. He has informed me that your ranks are swelling nicely and more Lords are sending their children to you," said King Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes on both counts your Grace. Though some of the Heirs to some of the various Lords have not qualified and were removed from the compound soon after. Their Fathers and some of the bannermen from those Houses came to visit and _convince me_ to change my mind. In the end, those who tried to force me into submission for the _insult_ were beaten into submission," said Sub-Zero though he was sure the King already knew this.

"Yes. Yes. I have heard some interesting rumors about you my fellow dragon," said King Aerys II with Sub-Zero keeping a stoic face.

"Rumors your Grace? About what?" asked Sub-Zero curiously.

"Several things actually. One, my former Hand, Tywin Lannister, has spoken to you just recently. Second, a rumor has arisen about you having the power to summon ice. Some are even going so far as to call you a White Walker. Or some kind of mix so you could walk among us. Normally, I would not believe such rumors, but you did come here from the North with House Stark. So tell me my fellow dragon, are any of the rumors spoke true? Are you a White Walker? Or are you truly a dragon of ice?" asked King Aerys II with his madness filled eyes staring at him intently for an answer.

"In order of your questions asked your Grace, it is true that Tywin Lannister came to me at the Lin Kuei compound. We were talking about his son, Jamie Lannister. It had come to his attention that Ser Barristan had convinced young Jamie to join the Kingsguard and forsake his titles, inheritance, and having children. We talked at length about it and I told Lord Tywin that I had no influence on his son's decision. All I did was make sure Jamie made an informed decision and understood what he was planning to do once the decision was made. Nothing more," said Sub-Zero while he saw the King nod since he had one such conversation with Tywin earlier to get him to dismiss the boy from the Kingsguard.

But the King had refused. Saying he would not deny the boy the honor. However, the real reason the King did this was to spite Tywin Lannister per the whispering of the madness in his ear. By keeping Jamie in the Kingsguard, the Warden of the West would be placed in a weakened position in having his youngest son rule when of age. Over the years, the King felt threatened by Tywin, the madness in his mind not helping, and decided to use this along with denying the arranged marriage proposal between Rheagar and Cersei.

The lion would and must always stay humbled under the power of the dragon.

"And your rumored abilities to make ice?" asked King Aerys II with Sub-Zero sighing since he had hoped to avoid this.

Given how the King may act worse as a result of revealing it being one of the reasons he kept his powers an extremely closely guarded secret. Few knew of his powers. Literally, all the people who knew could be counted on with just one hand, and it just so happened two of the few who knew was in the room with them.

Varys the Spider and Ser Barristan. Though considering the two, Sub-Zero doubted it was the member of the Kingsguard. Ser Barristan was too honorable of a man to reveal something so personal to the King. Sub-Zero had revealed his abilities to both of them and explained how important it was to keep this a secret. The Lin Kuei had warrior had told them that he had no intention of using his powers to endanger the realm or the King.

Ser Barristan believed his words were truthful, which they were, and thus kept the secret of Sub-Zero's ice powers from the King. Varys had not been around Sub-Zero as much as the well respected member of the Kingsguard so he couldn't exactly take his word at face value. Plus being the Master of Whispers and Spy Master required he not trust anyone in their entirety.

It was how the man stayed alive for so long in a place like King's Landing.

Why Varys told the King, he didn't know. Maybe he thought his power was some kind of sorcery? Sub-Zero didn't exactly reveal the ability was in his blood and was descended from a line of cryomancers. Varys had confessed to him about his childhood being better than most in the Free Cities of Essos up until some would-be sorcerer castrated him for some kind of spell. The man no doubt felt magic was evil and wanted to ensure those who practiced it never became too powerful for their own good.

It was actually a good thing neither Quan Chi nor Shang Sung were alive and in this realm since they would have conquered it within a few years.

"They are true in regards to my powers. In regards to being related to the 'White Walkers' you mentioned, that part is false," said Sub-Zero before raising his right hand and formed a solid block of ice before crushing it in his hands.

Much to the shock of many of those at court witnessing this within the throne room.

"So my fellow dragon is a dragon of ice. Just as I am a dragon of fire. Ha! Reminds me of the old prophecies of ancient times," commented King Aerys II, who didn't look angry in the slightest.

"Can anyone learn to do this?" asked Prince Rheagar while beside his Father and looking at the ice melting on the floor of the throne room.

"Only someone of my blood or descended from my portion of the clan. My older brother had the same power. And another, who was my student did too. Both were born with it. My brother is dead and the other betrayed me for power, but her treachery towards me was her undoing. She perished soon after," said Sub-Zero while telling only a partial lie to the King.

While his brother was dead, Sub-Zero could not say for certain about Frost. However, given the way Frost had been power hungry and clearly eager to betray others for power, it wouldn't be long before her end. Of that, Sub-Zero was certain. If Raiden's own violent paranoid tendencies regarding potential threats to Earthrealm didn't put Frost down for being too ambitious, someone else would.

"Surely you intend to have children one day? To pass on the family line to ensure such powers extend to them?" asked King Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding since he had given it some thought.

"Maybe one day your Grace. But for the time being, the revival of the Lin Kuei remains my top priority," answered Sub-Zero with the King nodding in understanding.

"That will be all. You may leave us," said King Aerys II while Sub-Zero bowed before leaving the room while ignoring the other members of the court who were there and had watched the whole thing.

"Your Grace, such a man with the power to command ice is no friend of the Crown. He should be restrained and possibly killed for the good of the realms," said Grand Maester Pycelle since such an ability was an front to the nature order of things.

"On what grounds Grand Maester? Sub-Zero is a friend to all. High Lords and small folk from King's Landing to the Reach. To the North and South. Even East and West. Not to mention he has taught young Rheagar here how to use his own Dragon fighting style. If the man were subdued, imprisoned, tortured, or killed by anyone here, it would cause many to possibly rise up in rebellion. We want to keep the Seven Kingdoms whole and form bonds of friendship to protect the realm from those seeking to shatter the peace," said Vary while King Aerys II was deep in thought with the madness whispering to him about what the Spider was talking about.

"No one is to harm my fellow dragon. I forbid it! Even if he can summon ice, it is not a crime to wield such power. Besides, he has done much for the Seven Kingdoms upon his arrival. I will not punish someone so generous as my fellow dragon," said King Aerys II while the voices in his mind were whispering approval his decision.

"Yes, your Grace," said Pycelle though it was clear to everyone he didn't agree with that decision.

(Lin Kuei Compound-Sometime Later)

Prince Oberyn was having the time of his life. At first, he thought training under the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was a waste of time. What did this one man have to teach that the fighting pits of Meereen could not provide in Essos? Oberyn was already showing he had prodigious skill with a spear and was thinking of adding a coat of poison to his blades so that even a single knick or cut would slowly bring about his opponent's undoing.

But his brother insisted he go. Both of them had come here to learn from the Grandmaster after the initial group of "students" returned to their parents or foster parents stronger and wiser. Now every House wanted to send their sons and in cases, even daughters to the Lin Kuei warrior to see if he could mold them into being proper Heirs or Heiresses.

And sure enough, the teachings Sub-Zero had produced for them had provided results for each person who came to the compound. Both Dornish Princes being chief among them. Doran had excelled in the mindset of running his House and the Kingdom of Dorne while Oberyn excelled in the fighting aspect of things. Sub-Zero had commented how the two brothers balanced the other out when it came to their different personalities.

The Yin to the others Yang according to the Grandmaster.

When Doran had learned all he could learn from Sub-Zero, the Dornish Prince thanked the Grandmaster for his time before returning to Dorne. He had sent Arthur Dayne to attend soon after and had formed a great deal of respect for the Lin Kuei warrior. Sub-Zero even taught several of his most promising students Chinese Mandarin, saying it was a language from his own land, and taught the words that went with speaking it.

His various students assumed it was the language of the clan and called the language Lin Kuei, which Sub-Zero did not correct.

So far, Doran, Ser Arthur Dayne, Oberyn, Prince Rheagar, Varys, Jon Arryn, and Stannis Baratheon to a certain degree had learned the complicated language. At the same time, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had requested books on many languages the Seven Kingdoms, and even Essos had to offer. Grand Maester Pycelle had been resistant at first, but King Aerys II wouldn't deny Sub-Zero the means to learn and ordered the Grand Maester to comply with the request.

As for Oberyn, he spent his time at the Lin Kuei compound perfecting his skills with a spear, and even applying the idea of using horse hair near the tip of the spear per Sub-Zero's suggestion. At first, Oberyn was confused on why horse hair could be used on a spear. But Sub-Zero explained and demonstrated the act, stating the horse hair can easily distract your opponent. In addition, the horse hair could hit the opponent in the eyes, and leaving them wide open for an attack.

"Your skills are improving at a tremendous rate Prince Oberyn. Your agility mixed with the skill of your spear is truly impressive," said Sub-Zero from a distance while seeing the Dornish Prince moving around, pretending to stab, dodged, block, counter, and move around his invisible opponent.

"Thank you Grandmaster. Your time training and teaching me has proven to be a sound investment in learning how to fight," said Prince Oberyn while looking pleased with his own skills and how far they had progressed.

"Just try to keep your passions and temper in check Oberyn. They can be used against you. Especially the latter. It is a weakness. One that an enemy can exploit if they know what to look for when fighting back," warned Sub-Zero since he had seen a lot of the now young man's growing temper when sparring and practicing against other initiates of the clan.

"I will Grandmaster. I'm hoping the skills I learned from you will help during my time in Essos when I participate in the fighting pits in a few years," said Oberyn while Sub-Zero nodded since he knew about that particular desire the Dornish Prince wanted to do.

"I wish you good fortune in your fights when there Prince Oberyn," said Sub-Zero before Oberyn bowed in respect to him and left clean up.

"Grandmaster, a message from the King has just arrived. He is requesting your presence at the tournament at Harrenhal being hosted by Lord Whent," said an initiate of the Lin Kuei approached him and handing the Grandmaster the message.

"I see. Prepare a raven for me to send a reply back accepting the invitation to join," said Sub-Zero knowing the King would want an immediate response to his written command for the Grandmaster to attend the tournament.

Even after all these years, the King wished for him to participate from time to time during these tournaments to show the "greatness of the dragons", and Sub-Zero knew the man would not take no for an answer. One refusal and the King would no doubt be insulted or believe the dragon of ice was threatening to topple the dragon of fire from his position of power.

It was best not to disappoint the King.

(Harrenhal-Sometime Later)

Sub-Zero stood near the King. A position usually reserved for the Hand when attending the events like this one. However, Tywin Lannister had long since left the position vacant on account of what happened with Jamie becoming a member of the Kingsguard. There was also the denied marriage proposition for Cersei to marry Prince Rheagar for Princess Elia Martell of House Martell.

He was asked by the King to become an extra pair of eyes and ears with several Lin Kuei agents in the crowd to keep an eye on things. Sub-Zero agreed to the request and had sent several of his agents into the crowd to spy on people watching the tournament. The King was now suspecting the High Lords and some of the Wardens were plotting against him. Both Varys and Sub-Zero along with other members of the Small Council tried to change his mind to prevent a self fulfilling prophecy.

Unfortunately, the King's mind had long since lost any form of rationality. People were now starting to call him the Mad King. How the man was interested in seeing things burn after setting them on fire. It made a lot of people nervous when attending Court because the Mad King could choose any one or all of them to burn alive.

To halt the mental illness as long as possible until Rheagar could one day take the Iron Throne, Sub-Zero had been gathering information on the various medical herbs known throughout the world. He had hoped to create some kind of herbal medicine or even some kind of herbal remedy to keep the madness at bay. With the madness of the King growing stronger, the desire to rebel from various High Lords with their powerful armies or the even Wardens themselves grew with it.

He had consulted with Varys on the issue in hopes of obtaining the materials and herbs provided to make something the King would have to drink almost daily. But obtaining it without the Grand Maester knowing or the Citadel impeding him was an issue since any thing like that fell under their purview. Sub-Zero knew the Grand Maester was not a big fan of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster simply because of his ice powers, and also due to being a foreigner from another land. If the man learned what Sub-Zero was doing, he could go to the King and state the "dragon of ice" was intending to poison him. Given the state of mind the King was in, the Grand Maester's accusations could ultimately hurt the Lin Kuei warrior.

As such, Sub-Zero had to tread carefully in his research. At the very least, he could use the knowledge obtained so far to make sure there were competent healers in his slowly growing clan. Which he did. Sub-Zero also decided to expand his own knowledge on the different languages this realm had to offer. Both those currently being used and even a few dead ones too for good measure.

"Don't look now, but it seems someone is provoking a dragon," whispered Varys to Sub-Zero, who turned his gaze to that of a knight with the shield of the Laughing Tree having bested three squires from several prominent Houses.

"Seize that knight! I want that one dead!" commanded King Aerys II suddenly while Ser Barristan, Prince Rheagar, and Sub-Zero himself went to retrieve the knight to find out their identity.

(Sometime Later)

Lyanna Stark of House Stark laughed to herself as she pulled the helmet off her head, the sweat running down her form. Not really surprising since she nearly overexerted herself after putting so much effort to best all three squires while wearing heavy (for her) armor. Lyanna's friend Howland Reed had been picked on by those squires and she felt it was only right to defend her friend's honor. Of course, being a woman in a man is always better, smarter, stronger, and overall superior to a women, it would bring shame to her own House if she did anything so openly. Ned was a good brother. He wanted to help too, but didn't have the courage to make issues out of something many would say was a minor incident.

But Lyanna, had to do it. She was a She-Wolf at heart. Not one to play by the rules set for people of the realm. Lyanna wasn't one of those ladies who did embroidery, acted all prim, proper, and waiting to be married to a knight or Heir to a great House. No. She just couldn't be a simple wife that spent most of her days doing nothing except trying to get pregnant with her future husband's first born child and spend time after that raising said child and future children to repeat the cycle depending on the gender.

Lyanna was a warrior woman. Like the women of House Mormont on Bear Island. She preferred swords to dolls. Pants over dresses. Fighting her enemies over being polite to them if they needed a good thrashing for being arrogant pieces of garbage.

Maybe that was why her Father thought marrying Lyanna to Robert Baratheon was a good idea. Robert was a fighter. Headstrong. Stubborn. And always looking for a good fight. But Lyanna wasn't interested in a man like Robert. She knew of his vices. How he liked to drink, hunt, and even whore around with women in brothels. Ned, Jon Arryn, and even the Lin Kuei warrior known as Master Liang had tried to curb Robert's vices.

Sadly, all three men couldn't be around the man all day and night to keep said vices in check. Once Robert had left the Lin Kuei compound following his time there, he went to the nearest tavern, bought a barrel of its finest wine, and drank it all down. This was soon followed by grabbing the nearest tavern wench who caught his fancy, paid tavern owner, and took her out back to fuck to his heart's content.

She knew this because Ned had been with him since both were suppose to return to the Vale soon after their time learning under Master Liang was over and wrote to her. While Ned didn't stay for the last part, he had told Lyanna about what he saw to that point with Lyanna being able to put two and two together when reading the letter.

All the more reason she hated the idea of being married to Robert. Lyanna knew _exactly_ what kind of man he was going to become long before anyone else did. Robert was a man who would let his vices consume and control him. She wouldn't be surprised if the man had a few bastards before they were even married.

"So you are the Knight of the Laughing Tree," said Prince Rheagar with Lyanna turning around to find him staring at her in an almost mesmerized state.

"Prince Rheagar!" exclaimed Lyanna in surprise while she now found herself caught by the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms in a situation where her life was in his hands.

"Why did you do what you did Lady Stark? My Father saw your shield's sigil of the Laughing Tree and assumed it was made to mock him at the tournament. He has now commanded the knight in question be found and killed for such a crime," said Prince Rheagar while Lyanna grimaced since she expected it, but was also hoping to get away before anyone could figure things out.

"I had to do something. Those three squires attacked my friend. I had to defend his honor and teach those fools a lesson," explained Lyanna while she saw Prince Rheagar looking around and sighing.

"We need to act quickly. I need you to remove your armor and take off before anyone else finds you like this," said Rheagar with Lyanna blushing before smiling at him.

"Wanting to see me without my armor? Oh Prince Rheagar, how could you? Trying to see what lays beyond this woman's armored chastity?" teased Lyanna with Rheagar blushing since it was only _now_ did he realize his words could be misinterpreted as something the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms should not be saying to a lady.

"Well...no. I meant when I leave for a time. When I return, I will take your shield back to my Father and inform him of the knight's death and present the shield as proof," replied Rheagar while Lyanna laughed at his attempt to explain his choice of words.

"And with any luck, no one will be the wiser that a lady from the North, who bested three of the most lowly squires from different prominent Houses in front of the King himself," added Lyanna while Rheagar smirked.

"I'll be back shortly," said Rheagar before he turned around, but stopped when finding himself staring at the form of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

"It seems you have yourself a bit of a situation young Rheagar," commented Sub-Zero while calmly walking toward the two.

"Master Liang, I assure you it is not what you think," said Prince Rheagar while Lyanna's eyes widened in remembrance of the man before her.

She was only a little girl when he arrived suddenly in Winterfell and had asked about him in passing, but her Mother had forbid Lyanna from being anywhere near him. Now that word had gotten out about his ice abilities, many were giving him a wide space since they thought he was connected to the White Walkers despite what her Father told everyone in the North. While the North easily trusted the word of a Stark as much as Lannisters could produce gold from their mines, the rest of the Seven Kingdoms did not share such value in it.

"Master Liang! It is an honor to meet you," said Lyanna quickly knowing this man was not one to tease or mock.

"Indeed. The last time I saw you Lyanna Stark, it was many years ago. You were a little girl wanting to ride a horse. Your Mother was against it. Your Father encouraged it. He knew right away you were wolf blooded. Dolls, dresses, and the art of embroidery was not for you," said Sub-Zero since he had such talks with Lord Stark during their time together when traveling to King's Landing.

While it may seem weird for someone to share such personal concerns with a foreigner like Sub-Zero, the Lord of House Stark knew an honorable, and trustworthy man when he saw one. The more Lord Stark talked to the Lin Kuei warrior during their time on the road to King's Landing all those years ago, the more he knew Sub-Zero could be trusted with such information.

"Grandmaster, you cannot tell my Father what you saw here today. You know what he will do if Lyanna is discovered," pleaded Prince Rheagar while Sub-Zero nodding since he did have a vague idea.

And they all involved Lyanna Stark being set on fire.

"I don't intend to tell him what I saw here. Only what he needs to know," said Sub-Zero before walking over to them calmly with his movements being unreadable to them.

"And what will you tell him that he needs to know?" asked Lyanna curiously while Sub-Zero looked down to his left and picked up a descent size rock before extending his other hand out to her for the helmet.

Which she hesitantly gave him.

"That we found the Knight of the Laughing Tree and put him to the sword before I froze his remains," answered Sub-Zero before putting the rock into the helmet and used his powers to freeze it before their very eyes.

"By the Gods," whispered Lyanna in shock since she had never witnessed something like this outside of stories from Nan about the White Walkers with their own powers.

"Lady Stark, I suggest you find a private place to remove all that armor and return to the public setting with the others at the tournament. Leave the shield. Rheagar and I need to have a chat," said Sub-Zero with Lyanna nodding before she gave respectful nod to the Prince and left quickly as her armored form would allow.

"Thank you for you assistance Grandmaster," said Prince Rheagar, but was shocked when the man glared at him.

"You are playing a dangerous game here Prince Rheagar. I assume you know who that was you were speaking to just now?" asked Sub-Zero with Prince Rheagar nodding.

"I do," said Prince Rheagar while Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed.

"And you know she was promised to Robert Baratheon, correct?" asked Sub-Zero with the Prince nodding and sighing.

"I do. But Robert is a pig of man. Everything you taught us, everything we need to know to improve ourselves with, and everything someone like him needs to rule the Stormlands has long since left his head! He threw it all away! As soon as he was out of the Lin Kuei compound, Robert just rode right into King's Landing, entered the nearest tavern, and ordered their finest wine before buying the tavern wench from the owner to have for the day. The man will not be faithful to her," said Rheagar with Sub-Zero nodding since he had been kept apprised of his former student.

"True, but you cannot interfere in this no matter how much you personally want to young Rheagar. Or do I need to remind you of your own marriage to Elia Martell?" questioned Sub-Zero with Prince Rheagar looked away in the direction Lyanna had gone to remove the armor.

"My marriage to Elia is...not as loving as people think. She is beautiful. No question there Grandmaster. But...I do not love her. My marriage to Elia and even my children that I have been given through her are only based on duty as Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Not love. With Lyanna I feel...something I have never felt before until today. I know without question before the Gods as witnesses...I truly love Lyanna Stark," said Rheagar passionately.

"Be mindful of what you feel right now Prince Rheagar. Do not surrender your reasoning for your passion. Even if the passion is love. Your Father fell to the madness surrounded by his love for fire. If you are not careful, love for Lyanna will be your madness, and it will be your end. I would like to think you among all of my students would be able to keep such things in check," said Sub-Zero in a semi-scolding tone with Rheagar frowning in thought.

"That is just it Grandmaster. I have been thinking over everything in my mind. In fact, I was considering the idea of annulling my own marriage to Elia so I could pursue Lyanna Stark, and if it is love...marry her!" said Rheagar with Sub-Zero looking at him in shock.

"Do not be a fool! Lyanna has been promised Robert Baratheon. If you do anything to jeopardize it, such an act would result in a possible war. With the state of mind that your Father is in right now, such an act would be inevitable if you go through with it. You will jeopardize all I have tried to do since my arrival in keeping a war from happening," said Sub-Zero with Prince Rheagar flinching at the Grandmaster's words.

Rheagar was good at fighting. Always. He had the natural skill for it. His younger brother Viserys said as much when seeing him one day during the time training to keep his skills sharp. But Rheagar didn't like to fight despite his natural skill and training he obtained from Sub-Zero's guidance along with Ser Barristan's own. He liked to sing, play all the songs on a minstrel, and make people happy with the songs while giving the gold earned from them away.

Though the one time he became incredibly drunk with Ser Barristan one time did make him laugh when recalling the memory.

"I cannot help how I feel about her Grandmaster. She is...beautiful beyond measure," said Rheagar while Sub-Zero sighing.

"As much as I would like to knock some sense into your brain, I know I cannot stop you from feeling the way you do about Lyanna Stark. But know this, if you choose the path of doing something foolish, even in the name of love, and this somehow leads to war...the Lin Kuei will not help either side of it. We will protect the people around your conflict using what few numbers the clan has on hand, but nothing else," warned Sub-Zero with Prince Rheagar looking away in shame.

"I understand Master Liang. Forgive me," said Prince Rheagar with Sub-Zero sighing and motioned him to follow with the Laughing Tree shield.

"It is all right young Prince. I just wish to keep the peace long enough for you to sit on the Iron Throne as King. The idea of so many of my students, all of whom were Heirs to their Houses, suddenly killing each other in a warrior using the knowledge I gave them is very...unsettling to me," said Sub-Zero while walking back to the tournament and caught up with Ser Barristan waiting with a knowing look.

Clearly the man knew what was going on, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Smart as he was loyal.

"Did you find him?" asked King Aerys II when Sub-Zero approached with his son.

"We did. The Knight of the Laughing Tree will no longer be laughing any time soon your Grace," said Sub-Zero while holding up the frozen helmet before crushing it in his hand.

Much to King's maddening delight.

"Excellent! Do you know who the fool was?" asked King Aerys II curiously while Ser Barristan walked over to stand by the man.

"Nobody. He was a nobody your Grace. Or perhaps a more appropriate term would be that of a fool," answered Sub-Zero while motioning Prince Rheagar forward to present the shield with the Laughing Tree sigil on it to the King.

"One less annoyance and threat to my rule. Judging by my son's return, both of you ended him together," surmised King Aerys II with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes. I froze him in place while your son took his head. The fool had discarded his shield when found in his attempt to flee by horse. Our attack prevented his escape and cost the knight his life," said Sub-Zero while glancing slightly at Lyanna to see her a tad nervous about being discovered.

"Excellent! Excellent! As always, you prove to be a most reliable ally in the defense of my kingdom my fellow dragon. Continue with the tournament!" declared King Aerys II while laughing with glee and madness.

"Remember what I told young Prince. Do not let your passion or passions cloud your reasoning," said Sub-Zero with Rheagar nodding, but he still glanced over at Lyanna.

With his words spoken, the Lin Kuei warrior walked over to the King and stood by the man's side while Rheagar got ready to participate in the tournament. A tournament he would win and upon winning, he placed the Crown of Beauty for his woman of choice.

And his choice shocked almost everyone when the woman of choice was not his wife Elia Martell.

(Lin Kuei Compound-Several Months Later)

Sub-Zero was not happy right now. Very rarely did he feel this way about anything or anyone. While serious, he tended to keep an optimistic approach to things no matter the situation. But this was different. This was surrounding the events of the tournament and what Prince Rheagar had done after winning it. Even after the months that followed the tournament, the actions that day done by Rheagar sent shockwaves through the entire Seven Kingdoms.

'His actions following that day will be his undoing. I know it,' thought Sub-Zero sadly before a knock came and a member of the Lin Kuei initiate opened the door.

"Grandmaster, the Master of Whispers is here to see you. He said its extremely urgent," said the initiate with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Send him in," said Sub-Zero with his guests doing just that at a slightly more noticeable pace that clearly showed the man had increased his walking speed.

Meaning this was important.

"Thank you for seeing me so suddenly my friend. I do apologize, but this is important and cannot wait," said Varys before waiting for the door behind him to shut.

"What is it?" asked Sub-Zero knowing the man wouldn't come here so quickly to see him shortly after the tournament for small talk.

"I have just received some disturbing new from one of my little birds. Apparently, Prince Rheagar has done something dreadful. Something so horrible that it will no doubt undo all we have both tried to accomplish since your arrival my friend," said Varys with worry in his voice.

"What? What did he do?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys sighing.

"Prince Rheagar...kidnapped Lyanna Stark. She was taken two days ago and from what the people could see at the time...the Prince was in fact the culprit," said Varys with his concern and dread being heard in his voice.

"I told him not to do anything foolish regarding her. I warned him!" stated Sub-Zero with Varys nodding and sensing the Lin Kuei warrior was getting considerably angry.

And for good reason. Rheagar had shown such promise in terms of being a proper student when learning under Sub-Zero. All that effort in training, teaching, and lecturing each of them was now thrown out the window. Lines in the sand would be drawn and his students who once learned under him would take sides in that sand while trying to kill each other! Using his knowledge, his teachings, and his lessons to end the life of those who once sat in the same room together hearing Sub-Zero's words of wisdom.

It might as well be the Lin Kuei civil war all over again!

And when the war did break out, the Lin Kuei would not be able to stem the full tide that Sub-Zero knew would come from this. The clan wasn't strong enough or have all of the numbers yet and what numbers they did have were not fully trained Lin Kuei. In another ten to twenty years, the number of initiates would increase, its members would have more experience, have some valuable warriors to extend the teaching aside from himself, and make the clan grow exponentially.

But that took time and effort. And time was something Sub-Zero did not have if every major House suddenly called their banners. Within the month, every House major and minor would be thrown into this coming war.

"It would seem your warnings were for not. A shame. The Seven Kingdoms would have prospered under Rheagar's rule. But now, it seems madness has taken control of the son as it did the Father," remarked Varys while Sub-Zero frowned since he suspected the kidnapping was not really a kidnapping like everyone no doubt assumed.

"What is Lord Stark's response to this?" demanded Sub-Zero with Varys looking even more grim.

"My birds tell me that he is heading South to King's Landing. No doubt to demand the King surrender his son to face justice for kidnapping Lyanna Stark," said Varys with Sub-Zero clenching his fists.

"It will be Lord Stark's death sentence," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding in agreement.

"Yes. One we cannot stop," said Varys with Sub-Zero looking at him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" asked Sub-Zero since he intended to do just that.

"If you intervene one way or another, the King will know or suspect your involvement in preventing Lord Stark's arrival. The Mad King will then see it as you choosing a side in the conflict that is to come. You will be made an enemy of the Crown and your clan will be hunted down to the last disciple before you are put to the sword," said Varys with the Lin Kuei warrior scowling at him.

"And you suggest I do nothing? Is that it?" questioned Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"Unfortunately, the answer is yes my friend. You cannot and must not do anything to stop this flow of events that are to come from happening," said Varys with Sub-Zero looking ready to unleash a blizzard in the room.

"You are suggesting I abandon a dear friend. One who took me into his House when in a weakened state. Healed my wounds. Helped me understand the realm I had landed in and know what was going on around me so I could lay a foundation from which I grew my clan to what is now! You are asking me to be betray someone I owe my life and my clan to upon being in the Seven Kingdoms," said Sub-Zero who was now in the face of the Spider.

"I know. I do not like it either my friend. I never like these choices. But it must happen for the greater good. The war is inevitable now. That much we both know is certain. But you entering it now would only complicate things. You may not know this, but you do have as many enemies as you do friends. The sons of Lords you failed the first week of their arrival? They have not forgotten you. The Lords themselves of those sons have not forgotten you either. Any side you take or perceived to be taking in this conflict, they will side with the opposition. You side with the North and their future allies, they will in turn side with the Crown and their allies. You must also be mindful of Tywin Lannister in all of this. While you did not wrong him per se, the lack of trying to prevent his son Jamie from joining the Kingsguard is still a wound made on your part," replied Vary with Sub-Zero looking away.

"I cannot abandon Lord Stark. I owe him too much," said Sub-Zero with Varys shaking his head.

"You cannot save the man from his death my friend. But I believe you can protect the rest of his family in his place when the time comes," said Varys with Sub-Zero now looking out the window of his office with anger.

"Tell me Varys, how do you deal with the loss of the innocent? And those few you have respect for? Knowing what is to come with the King and this war against the Crown by those it has scorned?" said Sub-Zero with Varys giving him a small weak smile.

"Truthfully? I don't deal with it at all. All I can do is watch and observe. I try to use my position of power, my knowledge, my skill, and influence to keep the monsters at bay from harming the smallfolk. I save as many as I can while hoping the death of those I failed are at the very least quick and clean," said Varys knowing he had to hunt down the King's supposed enemies and have them brought to justice.

If you counted setting people on fire and burning them alive to be justice. Which Varys, contrary to what others believed, didn't see it as justice. But what else could he do? Defy the King? Not a chance. It would be his head on the chopping block or set on fire while still alive. All the Spider could do was play the role of the loyal servant, who was tasked with finding and capturing enemies of the Crown.

"I told the Prince, at the tournament, should he do something foolish regarding Lyanna Stark, that the Lin Kuei would take no sides should it come to war. I told him we would have no part of this, except protect the smallfolk from both sides of the conflict. When I said those words, it was done in the hopes it would stop the Prince from doing something foolish. Now I have to stick by those very words," said Sub-Zero with Vary nodding in agreement since it was for the best given the situation.

"A wise and prudent course my friend. Even if the threat at the time was more of a bluff, the decision is no less the best one. The Lin Kuei grows strong under your command and through your teachings, but they are not ready to be fully involved in an actual war. Your strength lies in living and working in the shadows. People whisper your name and your clan as if it were a looming and dangerous shadow. They know you exist, but aside from this one place, do not know where else your clan resides. They don't know anything but what the rumors and whispers tells them. Who are your contacts? Who are your allies? Who are your friends in high places? No one knows this. Some say you have friends everywhere just as you do enemies. Some say you will usurp the King when his guard is down. Some say you will side with the King in his desire to see people burn. Even I don't cannot separate the truth from fiction," said Varys with Sub-Zero calming down.

"In that case, I will need your help Varys. Nothing that will go against the King to be considered treason, but at the same time make sure it doesn't support him either. If the Lin Kuei is going to be forced to the sidelines as a barrier between soldier and civilian in this war, you are going to help me with that barrier to ensure innocent lives do not suffer for what is to come," said Sub-Zero with his voice being tired and Varys nodding in full agreement.

"I will of course help you in this. I know you want to do more Master Liang. Gods know we all wish you and your clan could. But time, resources, and manpower are something neither of us have right now. House Stark will understand and survive. You taught them all very well. You must have faith that all will unravel as it should," said Varys with Sub-Zero looking at him for a brief moment.

"We will see Varys. Remember, the outcome of this war will be written by the victors. How they interpret it and let the story be known is entirely through them. I maybe on the sidelines, but I will make sure the _true story_ behind this war is never lost. Even if it can never be told to others. At least, not anytime soon," said Sub-Zero with Varys looking a tad nervous about the _real truth_ behind events being recorded aside from the victor.

Victors tend to embellish and don't like it when someone else recounts their victory in a different light. Mostly because the lies that are told from the victor's point of view so the people don't turn on them, but also because the supposed glory from the victory would be taken away.

"Just make sure when it is recorded, you keep my name out of most of it. I don't want the people to have any reason to try hunting me down and play 'crush the Spider' in the name of their version of story," said Varys before he bowed and left to room.

"Forgive me Lord Stark. But it seems that I cannot help you in this situation and repay the debt I owe for your kindness. And yet...maybe I can help your children in the years to come," said Sub-Zero while deciding to send his subordinates out to various locations to begin their assignment in being an additional pair of eyes and ears in this soon to be war.

If he couldn't help Lord Stark, perhaps he could help his sons and daughter to prevent a horrible fate that would no doubt befall them in the future if they weren't careful.

(A/N: Another long chapter updated. As you know, Sub-Zero's situation is currently in one where he can't really do anything in the event of a war. Much less pick a side since he really can't. For one, siding with the Crown will make him an enemy of Robert, and everyone fighting Targaryen forces. If he sides with the North or Robert, the Mad King will see his clan compound burned to the ground with everyone in it. Sub-Zero's clan has been growing steadily, but doesn't have enough member yet to be an influential force in the Seven Kingdoms. Remember, he has to train them, educate them, and ensure they are in fact loyal to the clan's ideals. So as you can imagine, the poor man has been busy with this difficult task while trying to make sure no one (namely the King) saw him as a threat to the Crown to give cause to order the clan's liquidation. But while the war is going to happen, as we all know it will, the aftermath will not be entirely the same as we know it. Just some food for thought. Until next time...PEACE!)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-Counter Moves

Sure enough, as Varys and Sub-Zero feared, a violent war had begun with Robert of House Baratheon leading a rebellion against the Crown with his allies. The stories and songs of the events will say it had started when Lyanna Stark was taken away by Prince Rheagar. It will continue with how the Warden of the North, Rickard Stark, went South to King's Landing demanding the return of his daughter. Only for the man to be put in chains and his eldest son Brandon Stark commanded by the Mad King to come down to King's Landing to answer for his Father's crimes.

Sub-Zero had sent a secret message to Brandon that it was a trap and he would die along with his Father if he went South to King's Landing. Unfortunately, the message had not been marked by any kind seal or identifying sigil for who sent it in order to keep anyone else from reading its contents. As such, the anonymous message sent to Brandon was sadly ignored, as the man had become blinded by his anger at what was happening to his family.

As a result, both Starks met the fate of burning alive while the Mad King watched and laughed while they suffered before dying.

Sure enough, as Sub-Zero feared, the very teachings he imparted to these young Lords were used against one another. House Baratheon, House Arryn, House Tully, and the Houses of the North all came down upon House Targaryen. The actions of the Mad King and now the Prince was too much for them to tolerate any longer. Many had hoped the Prince would be different from his Father, but his actions toward Lyanna Stark showed them that the man would just as bad, if not worse!

So they decided to end the madness by ending House Targaryen to further ensure no such madness existed ever again as a result of their incest related practice of having a "pure" bloodline. It was a brutal war. Moves and countermoves. Weather, violence, and vicious battles had left a massive death toll on both sides of the war. Sub-Zero and his clan did their best to keep the war from spilling out to the smallfolk, discreetly coordinating with Varys and his little birds to know where battles were going to be fought so the smallfolk could be escorted to safety. It wasn't easy and the clan's numbers were stretched thin in the process despite the Lin Kuei being successful for the most part.

House Targaryen had allies of course. Mostly from the South such as House Tyrell and the Kingdom of Dorne. Of course, they didn't know what Prince Rheagar had done in terms of annulling the marriage to Elia Martel prior to marrying Lyanna Stark in secret. Not that it would have matter despite the feeling of being slighted since as long as their Dornish Princess, and her children that were Rheagar's were still in King's Landing along with the Royal Court they had to fight for the Crown.

Doran had attempted to convince the King through multiples messages to send Elia and her children to Dorne where they could be better protected. He had promised that Dorne would keep fighting for the Mad King's House, but King Aerys II wouldn't listen to him. Of course the Mad King would send his wife and sister to Dragonstone, but not his son's former wife and her children.

So Prince Doran sought out another route in the form of his old teacher, Sub-Zero, in the hopes he could do something for his House.

(Dorne-Sunspear-At the Moment)

"Thank you for visiting me Grandmaster. Your coming here despite everything that has happened is most appreciated," said Doran knowing secrecy was imperative here and no one in Dorne would betray the leader of the Lin Kuei.

"I welcome your hospitality Prince Doran. I also know or suspect why you requested this particular meeting," said Sub-Zero while he enjoyed the tea provided by Doran, who had developed his own fondness for tea through the Grandmaster.

Many called it a "woman's drink" and it was better to drink wine. But Doran didn't see tea that way. Not when Sub-Zero showed and explained the benefits of tea over that of wine.

With tea, you could drink it all day without your mind becoming drowsy or weak due to intoxication. Wine had its limits in terms of how much you could drink a day. Not to mention too much wine on a daily basis would cripple your health. Tea did not have that issue and could even be used to rejuvenate the body and the mind.

Doran had preferred to keep his mind sharp in order to continue ruling Dorne long after this war with the Usurper was over.

"Your skills of deduction have not lost their edge Grandmaster. But yes, I asked you here for help of the most extreme importance. It is in regards to my sister. Elia Martell. I need your help in extracting her from King's Landing. This fruitless war is not going in favor of the Targaryens despite Prince Rheagar using your teachings to combat Robert. Many of your students from the first attempt at teaching have sided with House Baratheon to combat Rheagar's tactical prowess. Stannis Baratheon has been the only strategist capable of handling the Prince's moves while Robert uses his muscles, power, and war hammer to cut through his enemies like wet parchment. I believe it is only a matter of time before House Baratheon wins this war and destroys everything connected to House Targaryen," said Doran with Sub-Zero nodding since he got reports of Robert constantly saying how he would wipe out every last dragon related to the Targaryens.

"And with your sister having married Prince Rheagar along with giving him children, it will no doubt make her a potential target," said Sub-Zero with Doran nodding.

"I have always respected you Grandmaster. For your patience. For the teachings you gave me. To my brother. To Ser Arthur Dayne of Starfall. You have always been a friend to my House. To Dorne. Which is why I humbly request your help. I need you or some of your most trusted subordinates to infiltrate King's Landing and sneak out Elia along with her children from the Red Keep. It is no longer safe for them there. I fear for her safety and the safety of her children," said Doran with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I will go there myself. Such an assignment is too important to leave to my subordinates. Sadly, they are not ready for such an important assignment. Even if some of them were, I do not have the number of agents required for such a mission to be successful," said Sub-Zero with Doran bowing slightly toward him.

"Thank you Grandmaster. My House and Dorne will always be in your debt for this act," said Doran while Sub-Zero slowly rose from his seat.

"I will leave immediately. From what reports I have been able to read over prior arriving here, Robert Baratheon and Prince Rheagar will soon clash at the Trident. Not only that, but I heard rumblings in the West with Tywin Lannister trying to discreetly mobilize his army. I suspect he is seeing a moment of opportunity coming and wishes to make a move to assist the winning side. If Rheagar loses, he will back Robert Baratheon in attacking King's Landing. If Robert loses, he will back the Prince, but only on the condition that Rheagar marries Cersei while annulling his marriage to your sister, and cutting out her children from their right to the Iron Throne," said Sub-Zero knowing Tywin Lannister was an ambitious man and opportunist who would side with anyone who could give him what he wanted.

Walder Frey of House Frey was similar to him in that regard. Even now, reports of House Frey providing minimum support to House Tully was showing the man didn't want to be on side with the losing force. There was always a chance Rheagar could win against the opposing side and House Frey would side with the army that would reward it. If House Frey had been truly loyal to House Tully, they would have brought their army to front with Robert's forces.

Instead, they were going to wait until the smoke clears in this war to see who they should swear fealty to and think about what they will get for showing it.

"I won't delay you any further. Take the fastest horse Dorne can offer if you must. Please! Bring my sister back to me. To Dorne," said Doran with Sub-Zero nodding.

"You have nothing to fear Prince Doran. For I am the Grandmaster of Lin Kuei. And as a Lin Kuei, I am stealthy as the night and deadlier then the dawn," said Sub-Zero before he left the room and Doran let out a sigh of relief.

(King's Landing-Sometime Later)

When Sub-Zero finally arrived in King's Landing, it was already being sacked by Tywin Lannister after the King let him and House Lannister's army into the city. He had moved swiftly along his route to head for the capital, but had encountered a small contingent of House Lannister soldiers. The men had orders to stop, delay, or kill any possible soldiers in this war depending on which side they were on.

Sub-Zero had kill them and interrogated their commanding officer to learn the recent new of Prince Rheagar dying at the Trident at the hands of Robert Baratheon himself via war hammer to the chest. Rheagar had nearly one the day, but a misstep on the ground around him near the river put the man off balance long enough for Robert to get in close and hit the Prince with his war hammer for a lethal strike.

And the rest they say, is history.

But Sub-Zero could not mourn for the loss of one of his most promising students. Not yet at least. No. The Lin Kuei warrior had a mission and it was to find Elia Martell and bring her back to Dorne where she could truly be safe with her family. Fortunately, Sub-Zero knew of several secret passages that would allow him to enter the Red Keep without being detected thanks to Varys. The Spider felt if there was ever a time the Grandmaster needed to enter King's Landing unnoticed, a few of these secret doors would be useful.

Just like now.

Even now, Sub-Zero heard the sounds of fighting and dying within the Red Keep. No doubt the Kingsguard were fighting Lannister forces and unfortunately losing. As the fighting increased, Sub-Zero had to move swiftly around the fighting, getting involved in beating or killing Lannister soldiers that stood in his way.

Fortunately, one of the dying Kingsguard had recognized him and told Sub-Zero that Elia Martell was in her room with the children several floors above them. Unfortunately, they would soon be visited by Tywin Lannister's personal mad dog Ser Gregor Clegane and his pig man monster Armory Lorch.

They were the one that had brutally injured the Kingsguard with the fatal blows before running up the nearby stairs.

Cursing, Sub-Zero followed the bloody trail those two personal monsters of one Tywin Lannister left behind with broken dead bodies of Kingsguard in their wake. When he had arrived, Sub-Zero's fury grew at the sight of the dead baby after someone apparently had the audacity to smash said baby's head against the stone wall. Further into the room, the form of Armory Lorch was seen with a young girl crying out in horror as she was about to be stabbed by a knife. Nearby, Gregor Clegane was on top of Elia Martell, ripping her dress around her waist, and his bloodlust could be felt clearly by everyone.

"Go ahead! Scream for mommy! Scream out while she screams back like a good Dornish whore!" exclaimed Armory Lorch with glee with the girl Rhaenys crying harder.

"How about you step away from them," remarked Sub-Zero coldly and getting the full attention of both men.

"You! I know you. Some kind of ice using fucker who thinks he is some great warrior and teacher of High Lords," said Armory Lorch with a sneer on his ugly face.

"And you are Tywin Lannister's prized monsters. Rabid animals that don't know when to stop killing until there is no one left to kill," Sub-Zero shot back while making a block of ice in his hands and shattered it.

"Your cheap abilities don't frighten us. There is nothing special about someone like you. All talk and no real skill," said Armory Lorch while Gregor Clegane glared at Sub-Zero since the man was interrupting his violation of the woman underneath him.

"If you are so confident of that fact, come and face me...if you dare!" countered Sub-Zero while Armory Lorch's face twisted into something truly ugly while Gregor Clegane was snarling like a mad dog being denied the food it was promised.

"You fucking ice cunt! I will enjoy butchering your body just like I was going to do to this Dornish whore once I finished fucking her!" exclaimed Gregor Clegane, as he got off Elia Martell knowing he could get back to her later, and charged at Sub-Zero with a level of speed someone of his size should not possess.

Sub-Zero had seen faster movements from Johnny Cage when the man was having a slow day.

As such, the Lin Kuei warrior had no problem creating and hitting Gregor Clegane with an ice blast that sent the giant man back into the wall behind him. After impact, Sub-Zero continued to use his freezing powers to trap Clegane in place under a thick sheet of bone chilling ice.

"And now there was one," said Sub-Zero before he walked toward Armory Lord, who was now using the young girl as a hostage.

"Stay back! Or the Dornish bitch is going to know what it feels like to be on the pointy end of this knife!" threatened Armory Lorch while Sub-Zero's form seem to generate more cold temperature in the room.

Even Sub-Zero's breath behind his mask was coming out and the eyes were now shining a very icy blue at an increasingly terrified Armory Lorch.

"We both know you won't do that," said Sub-Zero with Armory Lorch looking even more nervous with each step the Lin Kuei took.

"And why not? I am the one holding the knife. I am the one holding the girl. I am the one holding the position of power here," said Armory Lorch while trying to put on a brave front while Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed.

"Because the moment you kill that girl, is the moment I make sure you follow her. And I will make sure your death is not quick. It will not be clean. And before the end, you will learn the cold hard truth," said Sub-Zero while his right hand formed a sword made of ice.

"And what so called truth is that?" asked Armory Lorch while seeing Gregor Clegane was trying to break free.

"Considering what you and the animal behind us was about to do, I thought it would be obvious. There are worse fates then death!" stated Sub-Zero coldly before he spun around and stabbed Clegane right in the skull with his ice sword up to the hilt.

Everyone watched in horror as Clegane's skin went pale, his veins being seeable, and it his entire body was freezing up. Before anyone could say anything, Sub-Zero looked Armory Lorch right in the eyes and yanking the ice weapon down to let the frozen guts of the giant man fall out onto the floor.

"Fuck! Fine! Take the Dornish bitch! This isn't worth what Tywin Lannister was going to pay me!" exclaimed Armory Lorch before he threw Rhaenys at him and ran for the exit.

Moving the frightened girl to side, Sub-Zero quickly used his powers to freeze the ground toward the exit and caused Lorch to slide on the ice into the steps heading down below. If the man, by some miracle, didn't break his neck on the way down, the rest of his pathetic body would be despite the armor protecting him.

Turning around, he saw the girl was holding her Mother, both of them crying while the Mother was at least trying to comfort the child. Every so often, Elia glanced at him with a hint of worry or fear. Not surprising since she had just nearly been violated by Clegane and her child nearly stabbed by Armory Lorch. Sub-Zero's one regret in this whole affair was arriving too late to save the baby boy in all of this.

"You need not fear me Elia Martell. I did not come here to save you from those beasts for men just to bring about your death or suffering by my hands," said Sub-Zero while Elia calmed down a bit and seemed to gain control of her fear.

"My brothers always spoke highly of you," commented Elia while still keeping a cautious eye on him while trying to be a shield for her daughter.

"Your brother Doran asked me to retrieve you from King's Landing. Prince Rheagar is dead and as you can tell from the fighting outside the Red Keep, the city is being sacked by Baratheon allies," said Sub-Zero with Elia held her daughter tighter.

"The Usurper will come here. Along with more of his supporters. He will want me dead and my eldest child now that she is all I have left," replied Elia while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"So long as live and draw breath, no one will dare lay a hand, sword, knife, spear, or any blade against you Lady Martell," said Sub-Zero while Elia nodded since she trusted this man to protect her from all manner of threats.

Her brothers trusted this man when learning under him. She would trust him now with her safety and the safety of Rhaenys.

"We need to escape this room before more Lannister soldiers arrive," said Elia with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Indeed. Though escaping from the Red Keep may prove more challenging with the way the fighting is going. Stay close," said Sub-Zero before he began to exit the room, but stopped and glanced back at Elia.

"What is it?" asked Elia before she saw him look around and saw some curtains by the window and ripped them off.

"Wrap this around yourself in various places. If we are caught and brought before Robert Baratheon, I do not want him to see you in a state unbefitting of a Princess of Dorne. It would only encourage him to do something foolish," said Sub-Zero before he handed the red colored sheets to Elia, who now realized what he meant.

The Dornish woman's dress was torn in multiple places and robes around it was slightly torn along the right shoulder. Her hair was messy with a bloody lip after Gregor Clegane had backhanded Elia after smashing down the door. She hardly looked like a dignified Dornish Princess at the moment with her current attire representing it nearly being torn apart.

Quickly wrapping the sheets around her form in those damaged places, Elia quickly had her daughter tie each section together. It wasn't exactly the latest fashion, but all things considered, the Dornish woman was not going to complain in the slightest.

"I'm ready," said Elia with Rhaenys right beside her.

"Good. Stay quiet and take this," said Sub-Zero before he picked up the knife Armory Lorch dropped when he went sliding out of the room to the stairs.

Elia nodded knowing that if they ran into trouble, Sub-Zero could only hold off so many of them at once. All it would take was one getting around or through him to get to Elia and her daughter. If that did happen, Sub-Zero wanted to make sure the woman could defend herself to some degree.

With that done, the three of them quickly, but quietly made their way down the stairs to the next level. He saw Armory Lorch on the ground, moaning in pain, his right leg was broken along with left arm at the elbow. The pig man had also lost some of his teeth and sporting a bleeding gash wound on his forehead.

Elia merely snarled at the downed man and cursed him in several languages she knew before spitting on him. As they made their way further, all three of them were able to avoid Lannister soldiers along with several from the Baratheons, who had now entered the city with Robert leading the way, and wanting to make sure everything Targaryen was destroyed.

"Grandmaster?" asked a familiar voice with Sub-Zero having entered a corridor.

"Eddard Stark. I see you are still alive. I'm glad," said Sub-Zero while he saw the young Lord of House Stark nod briefly before seeing Elia and Rhaenys behind him.

"Is that...Princess Elia Martell? And her daughter?" asked Ned while Sub-Zero gave him a nod, but did nothing to lower his guard.

"It is. I am taking them to safety and back to Dorne per her brother's request," said Sub-Zero with Eddard understanding.

"What happened to the baby? Last I heard, Elia had just given birth to a son," said Ned while Sub-Zero's masked face became grim.

"He's dead. When I arrived in Princess Martell's chambers, she was being attacked by two of House Lannister's men. One of them killed the baby by smashing his head into the wall while the other planned to kill Rhaenys," said Sub-Zero with Ned going green in the face at this news

"By the Gods," whispered Ned since he never thought someone would go that far.

"One was about to violate me while my daughter watched," added Elia Martell while she glared at Ned Stark since it was his sister that caused Rheagar leave her and start this war.

"In any case, we need to go before our plan to escape is discovered," said Sub-Zero with Ned shaking his head.

"I'm afraid you can't leave. The Red Keep is being locked down as we speak. You'll never be able to enter the way you came into King's Landing," said Ned while Sub-Zero knew that was always a distinct possibility.

"What do we do?" asked Elia while concerned for her daughter above all else.

"Robert is expected to be crowned the new King in the throne room. Your best course of action would be to convince him to let you go," said Ned while Sub-Zero nor Elia seemed convinced Robert would do that considering everything.

"Best course of action? Ha! I might as well slit my daughter's throat and mine to save the Usurper the trouble of killing us," said Elia venomously while Ned flinching a bit since Robert had a growing hatred for anyone close to House Targaryen.

Even the Tyrell's were on shaky ground right now since they had been fighting loyally to the bitter end and only surrendered recently in exchange for mercy.

"My bannermen will be with us. No harm will come to you while under my protection or the Grandmaster's. Many Lords fighting in this war respect him and his words do carry a significant amount of weight," said Ned knowing it would take his words, Jon Arryn, and Sub-Zero to convince Robert to spare Elia and her daughter the sword to their necks.

Sure enough, Ned led them closer to the throne room with Northern bannermen waiting for him to arrive. He quickly explained to his men that no harm was to come to Sub-Zero, Elia Martell, or Rhaenys Martell no matter what. Elia was grateful that the young Lord of House Stark had the decency to use her House name over that of Rheagar's to ensure any animosity they had was not directed at her or Rhaenys. She had hard the screams of the two Stark men as they burned alive while the Mad King laughed. Elia shivered in fear and held Rhaenys that day while praying the now former ruler of the Seven Kingdoms would never do the same to her family.

Now here she was, walking into the throne room with her own child. Surrounded on all sides by bannerman from House Tully, Baratheon, Stark, Bolton, Umber, Arryn, and Lannister to name a select few. Further into the room was Robert Baratheon sitting on the Iron Throne with Roose Bolton on one side and Tywin Lannister on the other while Jon Arryn stood beside the Iron Throne. They had been talking for some time, but now with Ned approaching with his three guests, the conversations stopped, and they focused on them.

"Well, if it isn't the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei himself. Heh. I remember when we were all learning under you at that shit place you call a home. You were so invested in Rheagar being your most promising student. Now look at him! Dead at the Trident thanks to my skill with a war hammer smashing into his chest plate and helmet. Crushing his bones and guts into mush while his body sank into the water. Does that upset you? Does that hurt you knowing the dragon spawn for a Targaryen is dead oh wise teacher?" said Robert in a mocking tone aimed at the stoic Lin Kuei warrior.

"I mourn the loss of all my students who perished in this war. Perhaps you would do the same, if you would look beyond your own meaningless rage," countered Sub-Zero with Robert looking angry before glancing over at Elia and Rhaenys.

"I don't have to do shit of what you say you fucking ice cunt. I'm the King now and my word is law! I get what I want and what I want is the dragon spawn beside that Dornish bitch to be killed here and now!" commanded Robert while many men drew there swords to carry out the command.

"Robert wait! Don't do this!" pleaded Ned while Robert looked at him.

"Do what? The Seven Kingdoms will thank me for this. You know what she is! Who her Father was. Anyone descended from his blood will die. I swore to myself that I would wipe out every last dragon spawn in the Seven Kingdoms and by the Mother, I will damn make sure it happens," said Robert before the room got increasingly cold from Sub-Zero's power.

"She's just a child Robert! An innocent girl. You would punish her for the action of the man she calls Father?" demanded Ned with Robert's hands tightening into fists.

"She is born of Rheagar's blood. Don't you get it Ned? When old enough, she'll spread her legs like all the Dornish whores from their fucking Kingdom. What happens when she birth's a son? A possible heir to the Iron Throne to challenge my rule! I won't have it Ned!" exclaimed Robert angrily while his eyes moved from Ned to Rhaenys.

"And what about Dorne? Do you think they will stand by and allow this?" asked Ned while Jon Arryn nodding in agreement.

"Robert, you know we need to bring Dorne into the fold. If you kill the girl, it will only cause Dorne to break away. And who is to say others won't do the same?" said Jon Arryn while Robert looked away.

"She is a Targaryen by blood Lord Arryn. Better to be merciful and end her life should people wish to have her suffer for the crimes Rheagar and Aerys II committed," said Tywin while wondering where Armory Lorch and Gregor Clegane were right now.

Though given how the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was here, Tywin had an idea on what happened to his most vicious weapons in his army.

"If that were true, the children from half the people in this room should be killed for the sins of their parents. Your eldest son included Lord Tywin. Or do you think that being a Lannister gives you and yours a free pass?" questioned Sub-Zero with Tywin glaring at him.

"And what would you do oh wise Grandmaster? Send these two back to Dorne? Let the girl grow up to be a woman and breed?" remarked Robert angrily at Sub-Zero.

"You want Dorne to swear fealty? You want to keep your rule from being the shortest in the history of Westeros? You want to have long lasting peace? By returning Elia Martell and her daughter to Dorne, you will make all of those things happen," said Sub-Zero with Robert seething and Tywin frowning.

"I still say both of them should die. Control Dorne through fear. Let Prince Doran and all the bastards within that Kingdom know if they get out of line, they will meet their fate," said Tywin Lannister coldly while he never liked Elia or the fact she was chosen to marry Rheagar over his own daughter Cersei.

"Ruling through fear will only last so long as the one they fear is alive and is capable of making them fear you. What King Aerys II did during his madness filled years made a lot of people fear him until certain people in this room had enough of living in fear. If you do kill them, the people will see you as just another Mad King. No one will tolerate or allow one Mad King to replace another," countered Sub-Zero while Robert growled, but it was clear the Baratheon King understood.

"And what is to stop Rhaenys _Targaryen_ from challenging our new King here for the Iron Throne with a son in the years to come," said Tywin while trying to keep the fear of the dragon's return alive in Robert's mind.

"Because she is a Martell. Not a Targaryen. Besides, she is not the only one here who can claim to have Targaryen blood in their veins. Isn't that right, young Robert?" commented Sub-Zero while glancing at Robert, who stiffened at the implication.

While he was of House Baratheon, Robert did have Targaryen blood in his veins. Not as much as say a "pure blooded" member like Rheagar or his younger brother Viserys. But enough that he could claim the Iron Throne by that sliver of blood in his veins that said as much. Still, Robert considered himself to be more stag then dragon. He hated them and maybe even hated apart of himself for having blood of those dragon spawn in his veins.

But it was that same sliver of blood that allowed him to ascend to the Iron Throne since Prince Rheagar was dead and his little brother Viserys was far too young to take it. Not that Robert would allow him to try when old enough. Even now, his brother was planning to use the fleet to sail to Dragonstone and capture the little shit along with the last full blooded female Targaryen currently pregnant with the Mad King's final child. If it was a boy, it was another dragon spawn capable of challenging Robert for the Iron Throne in the event of Viserys dying. And if it was a girl, it would be long before the girl turned into a woman and began breeding children to continue the Mad King's bloodline.

"Besides, both of them returning to Dorne alive would help with one more issue," added Sub-Zero and invade the new King's thoughts.

"What issue?" asked Tywin with a frown.

"Lyanna Stark. I know where she is," answered Sub-Zero with Robert having jumped right off the Iron Throne almost four feet in the air.

"What?! And you are just mentioning this now?" demanded Robert angrily with Ned also looking angry at this news.

"You were in no mood to hear it given your sudden desire to see these two women dead simply for the blood in their veins. Besides, would you have even listened if it had come from me? Your earlier mocking tone upon my arrival made it clear my presence is not welcome in the slightest and I have no reason to side with you in this war. Besides, the only person who deserves to know such information is Ned Stark himself," replied Sub-Zero with Robert growled at him despite knowing it was true to a certain extent.

Many were shocked when the Lin Kuei declared themselves neutral in the war and stating they would only involve themselves in protecting the smallfolk from the far more...darker aspects of the war. How the clan would not take either side in terms of House Targaryen or House Baratheon despite both sides having secretly tried to convince Sub-Zero to have the Lin Kuei support their side.

Not only that, but Robert was quite a vindictive man just like Tywin Lannister with the only real difference being the former did it openly to the one he hated. His time training under Sub-Zero at the Lin Kuei compound had been pointless in his eyes with a few of the things learned there being exceptions. Robert wanted nothing to do with the Lin Kuei Grandmaster and stormed out of there within moments of his time living there being up.

"The only person? She is my future wife!" exclaimed Robert with his fury burning in his eyes.

"The key words being future wife. Meaning she is not your wife _yet_. And Lyanna is Ned Stark's sister. Family by blood trumps family by marriage," replied Sub-Zero with Robert looking ready to explode at his words.

"Where is my sister?" asked Ned with hope he could find her.

"In Dorne. Held in the Tower of Joy," said Sub-Zero while Ned's eyes widened and now understood one of the reasons the Grandmaster wanted Elia Martell to live.

A trade could be made. Lyanna for Elia and her daughter.

"We could assemble a massive army and attack Dorne. With the Tyrells bending the knee upon the Targaryens losing to us, it would be easy to break the Kingdom for allowing the dragons to steal your love away," remarked Tywin while knowing he just had to poke and prod Robert's rage until it went into a frenzy.

"And add more death to an already high body count. How many bodies are you willing to sacrifice for this cause? How many will follow you until they say enough is enough? The men who fought against the Mad King fought for justice. Not your quest to have Lyanna Stark in your arms. Start such a campaign and they will abandon you. King or not," said Sub-Zero with Robert looking conflicted.

"Listen to Master Liang on this Robert. By giving Elia and Rhaenys to Dorne, we can get Lyanna back faster. Isn't that what you want? If Elia or her daughter are harmed, Dorne may take it out on my sister in retaliation. Do you want my sister suffer and die in Dorne? At the hands of the Dornish?" added Ned while Robert started to calm down.

"No. For once, the fucking Grandmaster here is right. Prepare a carriage for the woman and her daughter. We will arrange an escort to take her to Dorne," said Robert before he went back to sitting on the Iron Throne.

"Lord Stark and I will go with them," added Sub-Zero knowing Ned would want to go in order to get his sister while Sub-Zero wanted to make sure nothing happened to the two women secretly hoping they could get to Dorne alive.

"I can see Ned going. But why you?" asked Robert because Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes at him.

"Because Prince Dorne asked me to bring them home. He sent a message to King Aerys asking for Elia and her children be sent to Dorne for their protection, but the man would not listen. So he requested my aid in smuggling his family here to safety," said Sub-Zero with Robert narrowing his eyes at him.

"One could say, you siding with Prince Doran is as good as siding with Dorne, and the Mad King to a certain extent," commented Tywin with Sub-Zero scoffing.

"Hardly. Prince Doran knew the war was not going well. He feared what would happen to his sister should King's Landing fall. Apparently, his fears were justified. When I arrived, the city was being sacked by Lannister forces, and upon arrival to Elia's chambers...I saw two Lannister men had arrived before myself. The Elia's infant son had been killed with his skull smashed against a wall, Elia's daughter was about to be stabbed by a pig monster of a man, and Elia herself was about to be violated by the mad beast Gregor Clegane. The latter of the two I killed," said Sub-Zero coldly while many in the room were shocked to hear that someone like the Mountain would be dead.

"He was always a mad dog. The Seven Kingdoms is better off without him," commented Jon Arryn while Robert reluctantly nodded since Tywin had told him in a message of the proof of fealty would come with a gift provided by the Mountain.

A gift the man only delivered slightly, which would be enough for now. But Robert knew Tywin always made sure that anything he did, it was to get something back in return. And if you didn't pay him back, the man always found ways to make you pay him back in full plus interest.

Either through coin or through blood.

"Fine! Go with them you bloody ice cunt. But you better pray to the Mother that Lyanna comes back to me alive. If she doesn't...I'll burn your fucking clan home to the ground and kill everyone inside of it," said Robert with a "and I'll do it too" look on his face.

With a simple bow, Sub-Zero guided both women out of the throne with Ned and Stark bannermen around them.

"Do you think this will work?" asked Ned while Sub-Zero glanced in his direction.

"Compared to the alternative? I would hope so," commented Sub-Zero intending to make preparations of his own in the event Lyanna Stark was not alive when they got to Dorne.

(Dorne-Sunspear)

"My beloved sister Elia. And my niece Rhaenys. Praise the Gods you are safe and in my arms," said Doran while hugging them tightly and hearing them crying into his shoulders.

Nearby were Ned Stark, Sub-Zero, and a small contingent of Stark bannermen watching this silently since it was not their place to say anything.

When all the crying and hugging was done, Doran whispered for the women before him to go rest while he spoke to their guests. When they first came, Doran was skeptical due to the banners being from House Stark and therefore supporters of the Usurper. But when one of his men reported Sub-Zero was with them, the Prince knew his sister was safe. He was naturally upset about what happened to his baby nephew before Sub-Zero had been able to arrive in King's Landing, but it subsided when learning the baby's murder had been killed by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster himself.

Though Doran silently vowed to have Armory Lorch killed in the future for his attempt to murder Rhaenys and making his precious niece watch her Mother nearly become violated by Gregor Clegane. Provided his brother Oberyn didn't beat him to it before departing for Essos and the fighting pits.

"You have done Dorne and my House a great service Grandmaster. I am now truly in your debt. Name your heart's desire and if it is within my power to grant it, I will," said Doran while Sub-Zero glanced over at Ned Stark.

"I do not wish to ask you of anything right now Prince Doran. My business in Dorne has not yet been concluded. Lord Stark is here to retrieve his sister. My spy network has been able to determine her whereabouts are here in Dorne. More precisely at the Tower of Joy near the Red Mountains," said Sub-Zero with Doran looking surprised by this.

"I did not know. Granted, there are several means to sneak into the area around the Tower of Joy undetected, but I never thought Prince Rheagar would take her there," said Doran, as he did not expect this from the Prince.

"We need safe passage through Dorne to get to the Tower of Joy. With your permission," said Sub-Zero with Doran nodding.

"Of course. For what you have done for my House, it is a small request," said Doran, as he gave Lord Stark a respectful nod, which the man returned.

"We need to take the fastest route," said Ned respectfully with Doran nodding.

"My brother is scheduled to leave for Essos soon, but I will ask him to guide you to the Tower of Joy. Oberyn knows the best routes throughout Dorne. If anyone can help you get there quickly, it is him," said Doran with Ned Stark nodding.

"Thank you Prince Doran," said Ned Stark with Doran smiling at him.

"We do not hurt little girls or women in Dorne. We consider it a horrible sin no matter the religion. As a man and a brother, I understand your worry for Lyanna Stark. She is your sister and it is only natural you fear for her safety. I know I did for my sister," said Doran with Ned Stark nodding before bowing respectfully to the Prince and left the room with his men.

(Tower of Joy-Sometime Later)

"There it is. The Tower of Joy. It was clever, yet shameful of Prince Rheagar to take and hold Lyanna Stark here of all places," commented Prince Oberyn on his horse while Ned Stark and Sub-Zero frowned on their own with the North bannermen behind them.

"Why?" asked Sub-Zero curiously though he suspected the reason given the name of the place was called "Tower of Joy".

"The Tower of Joy is a place where royal families connected to Dorne have gone once a marriage has happened and where women go to give birth to children. If she is in there and the rumors are true about what Rheagar did, it is a stain on this sacred place," said Prince Oberyn while Ned's face had gone ash white and gripped the reigns of his horse tightly.

"Gods no," whispered Ned with worry.

"We don't know if the rumors are true Lord Stark. Rheagar was many things. A rapist is not one of them," said Sub-Zero while Ned nodded since he had been around Rheagar before when learning under the Grandmaster and was not someone to do such things to a woman.

"The Mad King was said to rape his sister after watching people burn alive. While I have never known Rheagar to be like his Father, the power of madness is a strange thing," said Oberyn while wondering if Elia and both her children had died at King's Landing at the hands of the Mountain and Monster Pig.

It made him wonder what would it do to his own mind?

"She's being guarded," said Sub-Zero with his eyes clearly seeing movement in the form of a pair of knights with one sharpening his sword.

"It is most likely Ser Arthur Dayne. I heard he arrived in Dorne a few months ago, but as to why remained a mystery to my brother," said Oberyn with Ned narrowing his eyes.

"I took Ser Arthur Dayne as a man of honor. What could possess him to do this?" asked Ned while Sub-Zero put a hand on his shoulder.

"We can ask and find out," said Sub-Zero before he moved his horse forward with the group making their way toward the Tower of Joy and seeing Ser Arthur Dayne getting ready for their arrival.

"Grandmaster. Prince Oberyn. Lord Stark," commented Ser Arthur Dayne with respect for the men in front of him.

"Ser Arthur Dayne of Starfall," said Ned Stark politely before glancing at the Tower of Joy.

"You know why we are here," said Sub-Zero while Ser Arthur Dayne nodded.

"I suspected Lord Stark would come. Though you and Prince Oberyn are a surprise," said Ser Arthur Dayne with Ned getting anxious.

"I looked for you on the battlefield at the Trident. Your Prince died there and you failed to protect him," commented Ned while the Sword of Morning ignored the jab.

"Our Prince wanted us here. If we had been at the Trident, it would be Prince Rheagar who would have been victorious over the Usurper," commented Ser Arthur Dayne while Ned nearly reached for his sword, but was stopped by Sub-Zero.

"Where is my sister?" asked Ned with the Sword of Morning looking back at the Tower of Joy slightly.

"She is safe. Resting, but safe," said Ser Arthur Dayne calmly.

"Let me pass. I wish to see her. To take her home," said Ned with the Sword of Morning shaking his head no.

"I cannot. Her health prevents it," said Ser Arthur Dayne while Ned was looking angry.

"Her health is why I am here. If you do not step aside, there will be violence," warned Ned with angry eyes, but before anything could happen, Sub-Zero's grip on his shoulder tightened with the Grandmaster stepping forward.

 _"Please forgive Lord Stark. He is concerned for his sister. Surely you can understand his concerns,"_ said Sub-Zero while speaking to the Sword of Morning in Mandarin or as just about everyone else in the Seven Kingdoms called it "Lin Kueism".

 _"I do understand Grandmaster. But Lyanna Stark is bedridden. She cannot leave her bed. The child is nearly ready to be born,"_ said Ser Arthur Dayne back in the same tongue.

 _"Surely you would not deny a brother the right to see his sister? Everyone believes her to have been raped and violated by the Prince. Only she can tell her brother the truth. Not to mention, help bring the child into the world,"_ said Sub-Zero with Ser Arthur glancing at Ned and Prince Oberyn along with their group of Northern bannermen.

 _"Not counting Prince Oberyn and yourself, these men served the Usurper. They were an enemy to him and threat to the late Prince Rheagar's legacy,"_ said Ser Arthur with Sub-Zero glancing back at the group behind him.

 _"Let myself, Ned Stark, and Prince Oberyn pass. We would not endanger Lyanna Stark or the pregnancy. I swear it upon my honor as a member of the Lin Kuei and Grandmaster,"_ said Sub-Zero with Ser Arthur nodding since such things held such weight with him.

 _"Only you three. The others will stay here. While you would not harm the child, I do not trust the others,"_ said Ser Arthur Dayne with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I understand," said Sub-Zero with Ser Arthur Dayne motioning for the men beside him to stand down.

"We can pass?" asked Ned in a whispered tone.

"Yes. But only the three of us. Ser Arthur Dayne does not trust your men and something tells me the fewer who see your sister now would be for the best," said Sub-Zero with Ned Stark glancing at the Sword of Morning before nodding in agreement.

With that being said, the three walked by Ser Arthur Dayne while Ned ordered his men to stay here and do nothing unless commanded. Making their way to the top of the tower, the trio opened the door to see a pregnant Lyanna Stark surrounded by a large group of Dornish handmaidens. Lyanna was shocked to see Ned, Oberyn, and Sub-Zero there, but could barely say anything due to the fact the baby inside of her was fighting to get out.

"What madness is this?" whispered Ned, as he feared the worst had happened with the pregnancy here practically confirming it.

"Ned, its not what you think," pleaded Lyanna with Ned not understanding.

"What do you mean? You are pregnant. Pregnant with the man who violated you! How can you be on this bed and not understand?" asked Ned while walking over to the bed and kneeled so he was eyelevel with her.

"Because he didn't violate me Ned. I wasn't raped by Rheagar," said Lyanna before she winced when feeling the baby within her kicking madly.

"And yet you are pregnant," countered Ned while Prince Oberyn had been silent during this conversation up until this point.

"And unless the Gods changed the rules, a man and a woman have to be together to make a baby in her womb," commented Prince Oberyn while Ned winced since the image of Lyanna and Rheagar appeared in his head.

"And we did lay together. We were together, but not against my will. I was not kidnapped or raped as you were no doubt led to believe Ned. That was a lie based on rumors and the speculation of others. Rheagar came to me and I left with him willingly. This baby inside of me is not one conceived through rape, but through love. I loved and still do love Prince Rheagar with the child as the proof," replied Lyanna with Ned looking like someone had told him that the White Walkers were innocent creatures instead of the terrors man.

"But you were promised to Robert and Robert loves you. He went and started a war for you!" stated Ned with Lyanna shaking her head.

"Robert was a brute Ned. He drank, hunted, and whored all his life. He waged a war for the image I created in his mind. He saw the image of a wild woman he would see as a challenge. A wild woman he can try his hand at taming or controlling. That is the kind of woman Robert wanted. I wanted to be with a man who wouldn't do that to me. Rheagar even went so far to annul his marriage to Elia Martell and married me in secret," said Lyanna while Ned looked shocked and so did Prince Oberyn since he didn't know about the annulment and suspected that neither did his brother Doran.

"Meaning the child you carry is now next in line to the Iron Throne. If the child is a boy," said Sub-Zero with Lyanna nodding.

"Please Ned, you need to keep this a secret. _All of you_ have to keep this a secret. And not just from Robert, but Tywin Lannister. If either of them knew the truth, Robert or Tywin would kill the child. I know they will!" exclaimed Lyanna when she felt the child wanted out and wanted out now.

Something Sub-Zero clearly saw the signs of happening given her current state.

"She's going into labor. We need to act fast," said Sub-Zero while moving around to get what they needed to ensure the pregnancy happened correctly with Oberyn assisting him.

"I don't know if I can keep this a secret from Robert. How would I keep it a secret? He is my sworn brother Lyanna. I cannot betray him. Even more so now that Robert is the new King of the Seven Kingdoms," said Ned while Lyanna shook his head.

"You need to find a way Ned. Or Robert will rip the Seven Kingdoms apart out of spite after he kills the baby. You know he will do it. I know it. Even the Grandmaster knows it to be true. Please Ned. Promise me you will protect my son. Promise me!" exclaimed Lyanna before she cried out in pain.

"I promise Lyanna. I promise. I don't know how, but I promise the child will come to no harm so long as I live," said Ned while Lyanna cried with joy.

"So long as _we_ live Lord Stark. And if we can pull this off, Robert will none the wiser of what happened here today," said Sub-Zero while he along with Prince Oberyn were now coordinating their efforts with the group of Dornish handmaidens to ensure this wouldn't become complicated.

(Tower of Joy-Short Time Later)

The cry of a child rang out through the Tower of Joy. Throughout all of Dorne. It was the sound of new life being brought into the world. With the witnesses to the event being a group of Dornish handmaidens, a Prince of Doran, a Lord of a noble House, and a Lin Kuei Grandmaster. Each of them had assisted, in one way or another, the birth of Lyanna Stark's child with the birth being a complete success. There had been one close call with the blood loss Lyanna had endured when the child was born, but Sub-Zero had used a small fraction of his freezing powers to slow down the blood loss and allow for Lyanna's body to clot the blood naturally.

Had he not been there or arrived later with Ned Stark, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had no doubt the woman before him would have been died brining the child into the world. Now the question remained, how did they keep this a secret from certain people who would not allow the truth to come out or let the proof of it live past tomorrow?

"My son. My little Aegon," commented Lyanna with a smile on her face while she held the child close.

All the while, the three men in the room had decided to speak privately about this issue.

"Now comes the hard part. Finding out how to deceive an angry Baratheon and prevent him from killing an innocent child," said Sub-Zero with Prince Oberyn thinking and Ned Stark looking worried.

"He can't stay in Dorne. It would be too suspicious and it would put House Martell at risk with everything that has happened," said Ned while Prince Oberyn nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Beside, Lady Lyanna would want to raise her child. To separate a child from their Mother is another sin we do not tolerate in Dorne. Even if we could take them in, the fallout would cause untold problems for us with Rheagar's enemies itching to end his bloodline no matter the cost," said Prince Oberyn while glancing over at Lyanna holding her child and cooing.

"She needs to return home to the North with the child," said Sub-Zero at last.

"But that would risk exposure," protested Ned while Sub-Zero walked over to the nearby window.

"Exposure is going to happen one way or the other Lord Stark. We must use this moment in time to control the perception of that exposure when we return to the others," said Sub-Zero with Ned looking confused while Oberyn had an idea of what he was referring to about this.

"I don't understand," said Ned while Sub-Zero sighed.

"Remember back to my earlier teachings Lord Stark. When you and your brother were studying under me with the others. Right now, people outside these tower walls believe Lyanna Stark was raped by Rheagar repeatedly. As far as the Seven Kingdoms knows about this, no such child was born from the rumor. And that is what we must allow to continue being considered a fact. As for Lyanna herself, she cannot go back to Robert since it would not be an ideal marriage despite what Robert thinks to the contrary," said Sub-Zero with Ned slowly nodding.

"We must protect the truth by allowing the lie to live and grow," commented Oberyn with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes. Which is why my plan must be followed to the letter. You must trust me here Lord Stark, for it is the only way you can protect your sister and her newborn son from certain death," said Sub-Zero with Ned looking over at Lyanna.

"For my sister, I would fight an army White Walkers," said Ned with Sub-Zero nodding and Prince Oberyn smirking.

"You are a good man Lord Stark. It is a shame that you are already married. One of my cousins would be perfect for you," said Prince Oberyn with a chuckle.

"My wife is a Tully woman Prince Oberyn. I do not have to tell you how dangerous they can be when angered," said Ned with Prince Oberyn letting out a chuckle.

"No. I don't. Which is why I pray your marriage is a good one," said Prince Oberyn with a smile before things became serious again.

"What is the plan?" asked Ned with Sub-Zero laying it out in detail for the two men with Lyanna listening in the background just in case.

"Do you think it will work?" asked Prince Oberyn curiously.

"It will work Prince Oberyn. The very lie made through the rumors of what happened to Lyanna will lay the foundation from which we can build on. You will be in Essos soon so no one will have a chance to question you about the truth. Lord Stark will return to the North to be its Warden and I will be running the Lin Kuei there after moving the clan home away from King's Landing. The new King didn't exactly appreciate me being there and neither did Lord Tywin. I do not want to risk either man plotting to destroy my clan when I am making descent strides to rebuilding it," said Sub-Zero with both men nodding since they knew Robert and Tywin would do something like that in some way.

"So Lyanna returns to the North and considered to be too 'damaged' due to the past rape done by Rheagar and as such, she cannot have children," said Ned knowing it was the only way to keep Robert from marrying her.

"Yes. Not only that, but the 'trauma' behind it will make her seem reclusive. Wishing to stay in the North where it is safe. As for the child, you will have to deal with the anger your wife will feel from your end of things Lord Stark," said Sub-Zero while Ned sighed since his part of plan had been altered from0 the original one the Grandmaster proposed.

Aegon would be known as Jon Snow and would not be considered Lyanna's child, much to her displeasure, but rather Ned Stark's bastard son. Again, Lyanna did not like that idea in the slightest since bastards were not well liked by anyone of high standing. Even less so when the bastard belonged to a prestigious House. Sub-Zero originally proposed that he take Aegon into the clan to raise as one who would live a life within the Lin Kuei and be an orphan found to be raised by the Grandmaster. But Ned Stark felt it would be too dangerous and with the Grandmaster's various enemies within the Seven Kingdoms, it would put a target on the boy's back. Surprisingly Prince Oberyn agreed with Ned Stark on this. While it was no one cared about bastards and looked down on them, if the boy was Ned Stark's proclaimed bastard, no one would do anything or care about the boy to the extent of hurting him.

However, Sub-Zero stated that he would still be training the boy in the ways of the Lin Kuei in order to one day become a true member when old enough. Not only that, but the Grandmaster stressed upon Ned that one day, he would have to tell his wife the truth about the boy since she would not be so kind when it came to young Aegon's well being. Ned agreed, but it was clear to the other two men he would be stubborn about it, and most likely drag his feet on the issue.

Eventually, the boy would grow up under the guidance of House Stark with his Mother there to love him, and Ned would arrange for Lyanna to "adopt" the boy to help her deal with the "trauma" of the past. In the following years when the boy grew up to be a man, Ned would petition his "son" be legitimized as a Stark, regardless if his wife approved or not, and make sure his actual children cared about Aegon regardless of the status forced upon him.

The trick was to make it work without anyone causing too many issues along the way, but Sub-Zero believed they could pull it off. With a little luck, patience, and maybe a prayer or two to the Gods above for good measure.

(A/N: YAY! And thus the Game of Thrones is changed forever! Lyanna is not dead and while Aegon will become Jon Snow, it won't be too bad. And with Sub-Zero in the mix, you know things won't happen exactly like it did in the show. In what way? I won't say so its best you wait and find out. Until next time...PEACE!)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-The Game Begins Anew

For nearly 20 years since Robert's Rebellion ended the Targaryen's rule, the Lin Kuei grew under Sub-Zero's guidance as its Grandmaster. All his wisdom, knowledge, skill, and past experience obtained when running the Lin Kuei in Earthrealm helped. It was like the old sayings, "knowing what I know now" or "If I could take what I know now and give it to myself 10 years ago" seemed to fit here. As Sub-Zero did just that with the Lin Kuei here in the Seven Kingdoms and running the clan in this realm.

As a result, the Lin Kuei grew at an incredible pace beyond even his own expectations. In time, his students had become Instructors and Masters in their own right. They were now the ones training others as he had taught them and ensuring they understood loyalty to the clan above all things. Yet, Sub-Zero also made sure everyone in the Lin Kuei understood to _never_ become so ambitious as to take what they shouldn't and not to overreach. How the clan could fall far easier and faster if it did and could be destroyed as such like any House in the Seven Kingdoms.

And for nearly 20 years, Sub-Zero watched his clan grow to become an influential part of the Seven Kingdoms under his direct command. He had spies and agents in every single one of the Seven Kingdoms and was only now starting to slowly branch out into Braavos and Essos for good measure.

Which was good considering what his agents were reporting to him these days.

True to form, Robert had demanded Lyanna be brought to King's Landing upon a raven being sent to him providing a message stating she was alive. When Ned arrived in King's Landing without her, Robert demanded to know why she wasn't with him. Ned had told Robert the "truth" as Sub-Zero and Prince Oberyn had rehearsed with him about the Stark woman. How the Targaryen Prince had raped her, repeated, and how the last one had in fact been so bad it had damaged her womb to the point where children was not possible. Ned also explained how Lyanna had been so mentally traumatized by what Rheagar did to her and the following aftermath of it, and how the woman simply wished to return to the North to recover in peace.

Naturally, the new King had gone into a fit of rage. Cursing Rheagar again and again for doing that to the woman he loved. Ned had unknowingly played his role in lying to King Robert well, as his hesitance, reluctance, and overall manner of speaking had easily been convincing to all around him who heard the story. No one around Ned Stark suspected what he just said was a lie since everyone believed recent events had clearly shaken the young Lord of House Stark.

They never suspected he would have been able to mask the truth with a well crafted lie.

Not even Tywin Lannister had been able to see through the lie or find inconsistency with what Ned Stark told Robert about Lyanna. Not that it mattered to the Warden of the West at this point since Lyanna was taken out of the running to marry Robert on account of her being "damaged" and unable to provide the King with a future heir to his name if they married. Tywin's daughter Cersei was a different matter entirely, as she was currently ready, willing, and able to marry Robert to one day give the King an Heir in the near future.

There was still the issue with Rhaenys Martell, which would no doubt come up in the near future, but Tywin would cross that bridge when he came to it. If necessary, Tywin would call on the King to remove Jamie from the Kingsguard, and setup an arranged marriage between his son and Rhaenys to further cement House Lannister to the royal family. As such, his legacy would be secured in the royal family twice over, and at least one of his children would have offspring capable being ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

And if Robert refused him, Tywin would remind the King of the debt owed to House Lannister along with a certain song that made the lion feared above all other Houses.

As Ned left King's Landing, he saw Varys giving him a knowing look, and the Lord of House Stark knew that the Spider knew the _real_ truth. Not the lie Ned told Robert and the others. But the _real_ truth that if revealed would rip what was left of the Seven Kingdoms to pieces. Yet, the Master of Whispers kept quiet when Ned told everyone the tale of what happened to Lyanna, not once saying anything to contradict him, or the story itself for that matter.

When the Lord of House Stark returned to Winterfell, he spoke privately with Sub-Zero in office meant for older brother. How he showed concerns about the Spider knowing the truth about Lyanna and Aegon, but saying nothing in order to have it in his robes to use in the near future. Sub-Zero assured him that while the Spider was holding that piece of information to use, if necessary, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster assured him that the Spider would not reveal anything unless there was no other recourse. Besides, Sub-Zero had his own agents in place to silence the Spider should he get any hints of Varys betraying them to the wrong people.

As to young Aegon or Jon Snow, as he would be called by everyone around him, the boy would not receive a warm welcome by the people of the North. Bastards were said to be wrong in the head and acted dishonorably when allowed to run around uncontrollably like wild animals. They were also proof of a married man's unfaithfulness to their wife and could cause a rift to appear between husband and wife as a result.

Which is what Ned had to go through for a time with his wife Catelyn Tully, who was no more a fan of her husband's "bastard" as she was of having Sub-Zero around. Or the fact he was building a new Lin Kuei compound near Winterfell seeing as King's Landing had been out of the question. The new Lady of Winterfell saw the Lin Kuei as a dishonorable clan of spies, assassins, and cutthroats paid by the highest bidder to do horrible things for a sum of coins.

One she felt had no business being near her new home, much less her husband, and her recently born son Robb. Catelyn also made it clear that the Grandmaster was to stay away from any other children she planned to give her husband in the foreseeable future.

But Ned wouldn't hear of it. Stating Sub-Zero had been a valuable ally in retrieving his sister from Dorne and slowly helping Lyanna with her "recovery" from the ordeal. As much as the Tully woman disliked the idea of the Lin Kuei being nearby, her husband's command was law in how the North was run under his rule. She could argue, yell, and even deny him love in their bed until the next Winter came and went. But in the end, Ned Stark was Warden of the North and the Warden of the North would not be denied what he wanted or wished to happen.

Eventually, as time went by, the red haired woman tolerated Sub-Zero's occasional visits, and his advice provided to her husband on occasion. He was polite enough. Civil enough. For an assassin and the leader of a clan of assassins. Still, Catelyn Tully (and now) Stark would always keep him at arms length, and made sure her child or future children were never alone with him. She had heard the story from Ned that Sub-Zero had killed Gregor Clegane to save Elia Martell from being raped in front of her own remaining child. For that, Catelyn would feel some level of respect. However, just because that happened, the Tully woman wouldn't fully trust the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

As for young Jon, the Lady of House Stark had no love for the boy at all. She saw him as proof of her husband's unfaithfulness. Proof he had been with another woman and sired him a child not of her womb. What was worse, her husband had brought the said bastard home to Winterfell to raise as his own son in all but name. To be taught beside her own son as if they were equals. The nerve! The only difference was the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had agreed to take Jon into the clan when time permitted to be raised as a member. This was fine with Catelyn Stark to a degree, and knew the fewer times she saw the bastard child, the happier she would be when living in Winterfell.

Personally, she was hoping the boy would be sent to the Wall as a member of the Night's Watch, but this alternative was fine with her all the same.

The Tully born woman didn't understand why Lyanna Stark of all women would glare at her when giving Jon a look of distain. When asked about it once, Lyanna just told her that a bastard child should not be punished by others for being born. That the only difference between a bastard child and a legitimate one was a simple marriage between the parents.

Regardless of this, Catelyn Tully Stark refused to like Jon and continued to see him as nothing more than a bastard born from her husband's unfaithful actions.

And so time went by for nearly 20 years. During most of that time, there was peace all throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The only exception was the Greyjoy Rebellion, which happened several years after Robert had been made King. Naturally, it had united all of the other Kingdoms together to form a massive army to crush the Ironborn.

But what no one knew was Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei had helped speed up the victory by having his personally trained agents infiltrate the Iron Islands. Once there, they had sabotaged the fleet of ships in various places, assassinated various Ironborn Captains, and threw those bodies into the sea to hide them. By the time the Lin Kuei had gotten through with the Ironborn internal structure and fighting strength, they weren't much of a threat to the fleet King Robert led to put down the Rebellion.

As a result, Theon Greyjoy was given to Ned Stark as a hostage to keep close, and to keep Balon Greyjoy in line in case the man decided to try something again. Ned Stark had planned to raise the boy fairly, in the hopes the boy would one day return to the Iron Islands and rule with honor befitting someone of a powerful House. Sub-Zero saw the logic behind it, but wasn't sure the method would produce fruit in the long run given the history of the Ironborn. Such things like honor, duty, and even loyalty would be seen as a weakness to them. The Ironborn motto was "We do not Sow", which to Sub-Zero meant they would steal, pillage, rape, and violate everything in their path. An Ironborn who did none of these things were not Ironborn, but failures that deserved to have their heads put on a pike.

The Grandmaster had already decided the boy would be watched carefully with a silent standing order to kill Theon Greyjoy if he betrayed the Starks for the Father who threw him away from the start.

After the Greyjoy Rebellion was settled, peace came once again to the Seven Kingdoms once more with the King ruling in his own way. Each Warden ruled over their territories, tournaments were held, the rich became richer, the poor became poorer, and life went on all the way to this point in time.

(Winterfell-At the Moment)

A young Brandon Stark was attempting to shoot an arrow at the target. Near him was his older brother Robb and half brother Jon. Behind and above him on a balcony watching his attempt was his Father, Mother, and Aunt Lyanna gauging his progress. So far he had missed twice and was now attempting a third with his hand shaking slightly as his mind tried to focus on hitting the target.

"Focus. Father is watching," said Jon while wearing his Lin Kuei uniform that was black and complete with the mask that covered most of his face.

"Slow your breathing. You can do this," said Robb while watching his brother preparing to fire.

And so Brandon listened to his big brother before firing the arrow. He hit the target, but not the center.

It wasn't bad, but not good either. Hence why Robb chuckled and Jon smirked.

"And which one of you was an expert marksmen at ten?" asked Ned from above with Robb and Jon looking away since they weren't exactly the best with an arrow at that age.

Picking up another arrow, Brandon was going to try again. Only for an arrow fired from his sister Arya beat him to it and the arrow itself hit dead center. Seeing her give a small curtsey made Brandon chase after her while the she-wolf ran away from him. Ned and Lyanna laughed knowing those two would be running around for awhile given Arya's rebelliousness in not doing anything "lady like". Their older daughter Sansa by contrast did all those things very well when learning how to be a lady.

"Your brood grow well Lord Stark," commented Sub-Zero while walking toward the Lord of House Stark.

"Seven Hells! Do you need to approach us with such silence?" asked Catelyn or "Cat" as she was known by her family.

"I was trained to walk like this since I had the ability to walk Lady Stark. Failure to do so would result in strict punishment from my instructors. The punishment for failing was not a pleasant one," said Sub-Zero while the woman looked at him with unease, yet kept her composure around the Grandmaster.

"Why are you here?" asked Ned curiously while Sub-Zero focused on him.

"Some of the Lin Kuei and your own bannermen have intercepted a deserter from the Wall. Your Sergeant at Arms should be here shortly to inform you of it," said Sub-Zero before turning slightly to see an elderly, yet still strong looking man coming toward them with a grim look on his face.

Ser Rodrik Cassel. Winterfell's Master of Arms.

"Lord Stark. My Ladies. Grandmaster. A deserter from the Night's Watch was just caught fleeing South," said Ser Rodrik while Ned looked at Sub-Zero for a second.

"Get the horses ready and tell Brandon he's coming as well," said Ned with Ser Rodrik with the man nodding.

"Brandon? Ned, he is only ten. He's too young to see this," said Cat while Ned grimaced since it would indeed impact the boy in seeing death for the first time.

"It is the law milady," said Rodrik firmly.

"Ned please! Not this time," pleaded Cat, as she didn't want to expose her innocent son to such a horror.

"He won't be a boy forever Cat. And Winter is coming," said Ned firmly before he saw Sub-Zero nod in agreement.

"It has to be done Cat. I know its not a wonderful thing to see and in truth, I never saw the act done. But my older brother saw it happen at a young age just as Ned did. Our Father saw it too and his Father before him when such things happened," added Lyanna with Catelyn frowning.

"The cold hard reality will have to hit them some time Lady Stark. You cannot shelter him forever," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn glared at the Grandmaster.

"I need no advice from you _assassin_. The only reason my husband tolerates you here in Winterfell or in the North as a whole is due to what you have done for House Stark," said Catelyn angrily at the man, who not only had her husband's respect, but practically that of the entire North despite the fact the Grandmaster was a foreigner from another land.

People in the North always made her feel like an outsider when she came here after her marriage to Ned just before he rode off to war. But when Sub-Zero came to run his clan here, the people never saw him as such, even welcomed him with open arms due to his actions which resulted in Lyanna Stark being rescued from her captivity. Rumor had it, the Grandmaster singlehandedly convinced the Sword of Morning to stand aside to let them take Lyanna Stark back home to Dorne. As such, King Robert on the advice of his Small Council, had decided not to punish the Dornish swordsman, and let him return to his House in Starfall with his honor intact.

"Cat! You are being rude to our guest. Or need I remind you of Master Liang's actions on your Father's Nameday five years ago when someone tried to kill him with a slow acting poison in his drink," countered Lyanna while Cat glared at her husband's sister.

It was true though. Someone had hired an assassin to kill Holster Tully on his Nameday five years ago with a slow acting poison that would cause the man's health to deteriorate over time. Sub-Zero had been invited as a guest per Ned Stark's request and since the Grandmaster had taught Edmure Tully during the young man's life, it would be rude not to invite the man. Catelyn had been against it initially, as she felt that someone like the Grandmaster being invited was like having a bastard sit at the table with the rest of the family.

And while Catelyn Tully Stark did feel gratitude toward the Grandmaster for his action that prevented her Father from being a victim of foul play, she did not care now wish for his company.

"It's all right Lady Lyanna. I learned long ago not let words from others hurt me. Besides, if young Brandon does not see this happen now...when? You can only hold off the boy seeing this event. What if he is called upon to perform the task your husband is planning to do? Young Brandon needs to witness it in order to understand so when the time comes, he can perform his own duty should the need arise," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn could only glare before glancing at the young form of Jon Snow putting away the arrows.

After a moment, the Tully woman glanced at the Grandmaster and Lyanna before she left without a word.

"Tullys. They are a stubborn lot," remarked Lyanna knowing the woman was thinking hate filled thought about Jon/Aegon.

"Be patient with her Lyanna. She doesn't know the truth, remember?" remarked Sub-Zero while Lyanna sighed heavily.

"I told Ned he should tell her in secret. But he won't hear of it," said Lyanna while she was clearly frustrated with her brother on this.

"I know. I have told him as much. The boy is getting stronger with each passing day. The blood of his family is strong in him. On both sides," commented Sub-Zero with Lyanna nodding and smiling.

"We were just fortunate his Stark features are so strong. It is actually surprising when you know who the Father is and would suspect it was the other way around," said Lyanna and saw her son look over at them with a smile hidden behind his masked face.

"You will be able to tell him the truth soon. I promise," said Sub-Zero before giving his student a nod and walked away.

(Winterfell-Sometime Later)

It wasn't everyday that Sub-Zero could be surprised by anything, but he was later on in the day when the family, plus Theon, and Ser Rodrik came back with _five_ dire wolf pups. From what Jon/Aegon had informed him of their origin, the pups were recently born from a female dire wolf that had been killed by a dead stag's antlers to the throat. They had only found out about the dire wolf due to the dead stag on the road and followed the trail of blood, which led them to the dead dire wolf nearby and obtaining the pups soon after. Lord Stark had been against it at first despite Brandon's plea to have one, but Jon/Aegon had quickly reminded his "Father" that the dire wolf was the sigil of House Stark. How each pup was meant to be given to each child of Stark blood to raise as their own.

Sub-Zero also found it amusing that his student found the last one to have for his own despite the fact he couldn't officially call himself a Stark. Not yet.

"You chose a good name for your dire wolf," said Sub-Zero while in his student's room in Winterfell and saw the snow white dire wolf looking at him curiously.

"Theon thought I should just name him Snow. No doubt to mock me for being a bastard," said an unmasked Jon while Sub-Zero mentally sighed knowing the boy should know the truth, but Ned wanted to do it, and the Lord of House Stark had made him promise not to tell Jon until he was ready.

Damn promises and the men sworn to keep them.

"Ghost sounds better. Given how he can move through the snow here in the North nearly unseen, it would be more appropriate. Even more so given how you have been trained in the ways of the Lin Kuei," said Sub-Zero with Jon smiling since the boy thought the same way.

"Lady Stark is terrified of them. She was not exactly thrilled to have such animals around near her children," said Jon, but his smile left him when he recalled the heated glare from the Tully woman for having a dire wolf of his own.

As if it further enforced his position as a bastard of her husband and Jon being a Stark in all but name.

"Regardless of what she thinks, you are a Stark. I know it. Lord Stark knows it. And deep in your heart, you know it too. _That_ is what matters," said Sub-Zero knowing the boy had to understand that regardless of his current position, the title of bastard was just that.

A title. A false one, but one he would have to endure for now until the time came to make him a Stark. The Grandmaster still wasn't sure if the boy could claim the House name of Targaryen given these delicate times, but it didn't mean it wasn't possible. The future was not certain and reports of the Seven Kingdoms current stability allowed Sub-Zero to act accordingly.

The Greyjoy Rebellion being a prime example. When Varys had sent discreet messages about the instability of the Iron Islands, Sub-Zero had discreetly dispatched his own now well trained Lin Kuei agents to Pike to get into position to act when necessary. It was not easy, given how the Iron Islands was a place where everyone knew everyone given the islands was where only the Ironborn lived. But Sub-Zero had trained his agents well and they lived up to the clan name when the order was given to cripple the Greyjoys from the inside while the rest of the Seven Kingdoms prepared to fight them from the outside. The Lannister fleet had been torched by an Ironborn surprise attack, ships at sea were raided, women captured and raped before being taken back as salt wives. Men on these ships had been brutally murdered with pieces of them taken as trophies and proof of conquest.

Several large chests of gold had been dropped off at the Lin Kuei compound a week later with the symbol of the Hand of the King on a parchment requesting his help. A message from the Master of Whispers soon came to him a couple of hours later. In it, Vary had explained how the Spider had convinced the Lord Hand, Jon Arryn, to hire the Lin Kuei for the express purpose cripple the Greyjoy Rebellion before it could do more damage to the realm.

The massive amount of gold aside, Sub-Zero would have taken the contract regardless of the payment. However, the Lin Kuei clan was not a charitable organization and it needed funds to keep itself going while the money obtained was carefully handled. Hence why his clan did various "assignments" for different people throughout the Seven Kingdoms. However, to ensure none of them endangered the Seven Kingdoms or its overall stability, Sub-Zero made sure each one was properly "screened" to help ensure the aftermath of the mission was the correct one.

Meaning he had to consider the repercussions of any assignment being taken regardless if it was completed. He even considered what would happen if one of his agents failed to do the carried out mission. While the Lin Kuei had yet to fail any given assignment, one did not lead a clan and not consider it would happen. There was always a chance a mission could go bad and there would be loses as well as failure.

The Lin Kuei had done business with countless places and powerful Houses like House Martell in Dorne, House Tyrell in the Reach, and even Jon Arryn from time to time. Even his old student Stannis Baratheon and Houses in the North had hired the Lin Kuei to help settle various disputes. At one point, there was an incident between House Karstark and House Bolton over fighting near their lands. Rumors of smallfolk disappearing near the divided line that separated them and whispers of someone from House Bolton who was the one responsible for it. How the people who went missing were butchered in the forest region around their territories. The two Houses had gone to House Stark to appeal to Ned Stark's wisdom and fair sense of justice while presenting the evidence each had collected to help in challenging the other regarding the crime.

Lord Stark had asked for a few days in order to review the evidence presented to him so a proper decision could be made. In truth, he was waiting for the Lin Kuei to bring him the evidence to determine who was in the wrong.

And this case, it was House Bolton who was in the wrong.

Roose Bolton's bastard son, Ramsey Snow, had been brought to the Dredfort shortly after his birth by the woman who brought him screaming into the world. Her conception of the boy was not one made with love for the man who helped in Ramsey's conception, but one of rape by Roose himself. She had brought the bastard boy to his Father to raise and be the man's problem just as the woman knew Ramsey would be when growing up.

And the woman was right. Ramsey was a monster. One who inherited his Father's cruel tendencies and was a Bolton regardless of the title of a bastard clinging to him like a foul stench. Of course, Roose Bolton saw himself in young Ramsey, but cared little for the woman who birthed him, and as such had her killed. As a result, raising Ramsey fell onto Roose himself, which didn't bother him in the slightest since he knew the boy was his son by blood. He merely wished to wait until Ramsey proved himself worthy of being called a Bolton in order to legitimize him and have an heir to his name ad House.

Which wasn't going to be easy given how Ramsey had taken to his family's dark, cruel, and sadistic history like it was literally apart of him. Of his very soul. The boy had been growing up to be a cruel sadistic child. One who loved hurting others. One who loved to hear their screams of torment like they were beautiful songs played by bards who could actually carry a tune when singing. Those he tortured were sometimes given a "chance" to escape the Dredfort by running through the forest back to another House controlled territory.

Only Ramsey made sure they never got that far. Or got that close. The boy had made it his mission to know every square inch of the land his Father commanded before even considering such an idea. Ramsey also had hounds. Hounds that he had personally trained to eat human flesh and devour on command, which was accomplished after starving them for so long before throwing a person or two into the kennels for the dogs to feast on their flesh. He even learned the sacred art of his House on how to flay a man alive and get him, or her in some cases, to reveal all their secrets to him.

Something that Sub-Zero had quickly brought to Ned Stark's attention since flaying had been outlawed in the North by Lord Stark himself. The fact Ramsey Snow was doing it without his Father raising a fuss meant the man either knew, but didn't care. Or Lord Bolton did not know, but at the same time, was unworthy of having his House control so much territory while serving under House Stark due to sheer incompetence.

Sub-Zero had proof it was the former.

Hence why Ned Stark had easily sided with House Karstark on this since it was clear to him, given the overwhelming evidence gathered, that Ramsey Snow had been the overall problem between both of these Houses. When called out on it, Roose had, after seeing the evidence mounted against him, confessed his bastard son had been responsible. The Lord of House Bolton had tried to convince Lord Stark to spare Ramsey's life. Stating he was young, impressionable, and crying out for attention from a Father who had yet to claim him truly as a Bolton.

But Ned was not convinced. He had discussed the nature of Ramsey Snow with Sub-Zero in private with the overall decision on what to do with a sadistic child before he became a man. Imprisonment? No. It would risk House Bolton being resentful and possibly plan to one day overthrow House Stark when a moment of opportunity would arise if the Warden of the North's position was weakened enough to be challenged. The Wall? There were some cruel people in the Seven Kingdoms even the Wall could not fix or break. Besides, Ramsey was known for his lying and cheating ways while keeping an "honest" look on his face. The boy would no doubt slaughter almost everyone at Castle Black while in their beds asleep before sparing those who truly thought similar to himself in exchange for their loyalty. Once they got around the Northern patrols and to a ship, they could sail anywhere in the world beyond the reach of House Stark, and the Seven Kingdoms as a whole.

The only true justice to the crimes this boy committed? Execution. Taking Ramsey's head with a sword to the neck to be more precise.

And that was exactly what Ned Stark ordered while Roose tried to protest. But the Lord of House Stark would not budge and even more so when a servant had come running into the Main Hall to tell something to Warden of the North. Apparently, Ramsey had been trying to get close to Lyanna with his "kind and friendly" facade he created for himself, not even knowing his target was Lyanna Stark. Soon however, the conversation the two were having got out of hand and the bastard of the Dredfort got too forceful in trying to make the Stark woman obey him. It got to the point where the impulsive Ramsey Snow secretly brought out his flaying knife and was about to threaten the woman and force her into submission to be taken somewhere private for him to play with.

Only to be caught by Sub-Zero and was taken away by the Grandmaster, who was going to give him a few "lessons" of his own on how to obtain information through pain.

From what was confessed to Sub-Zero, the plan was to talk Lyanna Stark on a riding and hunting trip to the nearby woods. From there, Ramsey would shoot an arrow right into the back of her right leg, which he would apologize for doing, would get extremely close to the wounded woman, and quickly proceed to butcher her in those woods. He would of course return sometime later, claim they were attacked by Wildlings who made it over the Wall.

With the savagery he would have unleashed on the woman, no one would have suspected it was Ramsey who was responsible for the act.

Naturally, this infuriated Ned Stark further with Roose Bolton having no leg to stand on when protesting since Ramsey's actions were illegal by law of the Warden of North. If Roose tried to defend even _one_ of Ramsey's past misdeeds, it would put House Bolton in a very uncomfortable situation. Hence why Ramsey was eventually brought to the Main Hall of Winterfell in chains, the brat struggling the entire time, glaring at the men around him.

Only Roose was given something along the lines of a pleading look from the boy. As if his Father could save him from this situation and show everyone how much he loved his bastard for a son.

Only for the Lord of House Bolton to stay quiet. His face firm. Cold. He gave nothing away in terms of emotion when seeing his bastard son brought to him in chains and the sentence for his execution being heard by all from Ned Stark's mouth. Roose wanted to save his bastard son. He truly did. But Ramsey had done the one thing that placed it all in jeopardy and put House Bolton in a position Roose didn't want. The one thing Roose had stressed upon his bastard son above all things _NOT_ to do when enjoying himself.

The boy got _caught_. Not only did he get caught, but the one he was trying to "play with" was Lyanna Stark herself. Ned's sister. Former betrothed to the current King of the Seven Kingdoms. If King Robert found out about this, and Roose had a feeling he would, the King would demand something far worse be done if Lord Stark didn't do something first.

So for the good of his House, Roose Bolton watched while Ramsey Snow, his bastard son, was taken away and executed for his past crimes. The entire time they headed over toward the executioner's block, the boy's pleaded, cursed, and made promises of pain and suffering to all of them. Naturally, all that came out of the boy's mouth were ignored as a dead man without a head wielded no power and the words spoken from such a man were ultimately silenced when the head was severed at the neck.

Roose couldn't even say he resented Lord Stark for performing the task. The man didn't do it out of cruelty, but out of duty as Warden of the North. There was no gloating, no insults, no cruel or cold remarks. Just a swing of the sword, an ending of a life, and the deep penetrating look from Ned Stark to Roose Bolton was all it took for the Lord of the Dredfort to understand that had to watch his step from now on.

Otherwise, the North would destroy House Bolton, and Ned Stark would have his own terrifying song made about how he crushed an unruly House.

"I am more concerned about what was said about the deserter at the Wall. The one caught and executed by Father," said Jon with Sub-Zero nodding.

"There is clearly something happening over the Wall we are not seeing or know too little about when it comes to what goes on there. I will make sure it is investigated, but from what I have determined since my own private inspection, the place is poorly unmanned. There are too few men and too few means of defending it from an invasion should the Wildlings come out of hiding with such a massive army," said Sub-Zero with Jon looking concerned despite it not really being his problem.

"Do you think...it was the White Walkers? That they do exist?" asked Jon with Sub-Zero thinking it over in his mind.

"It is possible. I have seen things myself. Dark horrible things. Beyond even that of the White Walkers. I do not fully believe the man saw the White Walkers, but I cannot deny there is a possible chance they do in fact exist. To determine truth from fiction, it must be investigated regardless to ensure it is a hoax at best and the truth at worst," said Sub-Zero with Jon nodding.

"And if it is the White Walkers?" asked Jon with Sub-Zero turning his head to face the young man.

"We must have a means to fight them at the ready. I will inquire about anything related to the White Walkers and what was said to defeat them at the Citadel. Knowing them, it will be a long time before I hear back with a response, or the documentation I requested. With any luck, the Maesters there will give me what I need," said Sub-Zero since he had some contact with the Maesters there over the years.

He had submitted a means of making pure alcohol, which he detailed could be used as a sterilization agent when applied appropriately to surgical tools for cleaning. As a result, infections from used items would ultimately be reduced significantly. It also helped in the reduction of infections after pouring it on a wound and cauterizing the flesh immediately. The man also submitted carefully detailed ideas and experiments using various herbs to create knew medicines and means to keep someone alive longer.

Needless to say, the Grandmaster was becoming a well known man throughout the Seven Kingdoms for his different skills not related to killing people.

A gentle knock on the door quickly brought them out of their conversation and Maester Luwin opened the door. The man had been a loyal advisor to House Stark since before the time when all of Ned's children were brought into the world. Sub-Zero also knew that a Maester was suppose to be loyal to the Lord who rule the castle regardless of who it was that claimed it. But the Grandmaster knew the man before him was someone who was more loyal to House Stark above all else.

"My apologize for intruding Master Liang. Young Snow. But Lord Stark wishes to speak with you about something important. It is most urgent," said Maester Luwin with Sub-Zero nodding to Jon before leaving the room to follow the elderly man to Lord Stark's room.

"You wished to see me?" asked Sub-Zero while Ned nodded and saw the nervousness of the man's wife Catelyn nearby.

"I just received a raven from King's Landing. It is about Jon Arryn. He's dead," said Ned while Sub-Zero closed his eyes and silently grieved for the loss of a dedicated man.

"How did he die?' asked Sub-Zero curiously.

"A fever took him from what the message stated of his health. It came suddenly. Too fast to be treated by anyone capable of combating the illness," said Ned while Sub-Zero was processing this in his mind and knew his own agents most likely had a similar report on his desk to be read at the clan compound along with several other issues regarding the old man's death.

"I take it there is more?" asked Sub-Zero with Ned nodding.

"The King is coming here to Winterfell," added Ned Stark while Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes.

"We believe the King will come here to make Ned the new Hand and call on him to serve down at King's Landing," continued Catelyn while she had been reluctant to bring the Lin Kuei warrior into the fold.

But Ned said they could trust him. She didn't know how her husband could say that about the assassin, but he always did.

"And your son Robb taking over the duties as Warden of the North in the process," added Sub-Zero with Ned nodding.

"My son Robb is old enough. Responsible enough. The lessons you taught me when I was a younger man were taught to him," said Ned while Sub-Zero nodded in approval.

"Yet I sense your hesitation. I sense your reservations about the idea of going down to King's Landing if your reason for the King coming here is in fact correct. Given your past history and the history the Starks have with King's Landing when called by a King to come down there, I can understand," said Sub-Zero with Ned looking very nervous given what happened to his Father and older brother.

"The last time a King called on any Stark to come down to King's Landing, they were burned alive!" exclaimed Catelyn with worry in her voice.

"It was a different time. A different King sat on the Iron Throne. Robert Baratheon is not King Aerys II. You two were sworn brothers under the guidance of Jon Arryn. He needs someone trustworthy by his side. Who better?" countered Maester Luwin while Catelyn was not pleased by his response.

"We don't even know if Robert is coming here to make Ned the Hand of the King. Maybe he wishes to visit so the two can talk about Jon and mourn his passing together," replied Sub-Zero though he doubted the King would come all the way over here for that.

He would have to check with his agents and any reports from King's Landing related to this situation. Not to mention see if the Spider had been gracious enough to send him any kind of information worth his attention.

"We will know soon enough. For the moment, please inform my sister of this. She will want to know in order to prepare for Robert's arrival," said Ned while Sub-Zero nodded.

"Its been nearly 20 years Ned. Surely, she can cope with dealing with Robert after all this time away here in the North," said Catelyn knowing Lyanna had mixed feelings about the idea of seeing Robert again after all this time.

Oh Robert had tried visiting once during the Greyjoy Rebellion, but Lyanna wouldn't see him. Refused to see him. At the time, many thought it was due to a sense of self loathing she felt for herself after what happened with Rheagar. But now? If she wasn't standing by Ned and the rest of House Stark, it would look awkward, if not insulting for the King to not see her again.

"Knowing Robert is coming in advance will allow her to prepare for his arrival Cat. If she were to suddenly act out in his presence, it would look bad for House Stark. Robert will be bringing everyone with him. It will be weeks before they arrive and give my sister the necessary time to prepare for Robert and his entourage," said Ned since Lyanna would need that time to prepare herself for seeing Robert again.

Though Ned knew his sister would need this time to prepare herself more in terms of the need to control her impulse to grab the nearest blade and thrust it into the man's skull.

(Lin Kuei Compound-Sometime Later)

Sub-Zero had returned to the compound to read over the information provided almost daily through the countless agents he now employed through the clan. Added that Varys was also sending discreet messages also helped since the more information the Lin Kuei had, the better.

While he was looking over his reports, one caught his attention related to Jon Arryn with the handwriting belonging to the Spider himself. Usually, the man did not write anything to him personally unless it was necessary for him to be aware of the seriousness of what he had personally discovered.

 _The Lord Hand has been killed. The death was not a natural one. Foul play suspected at this time, but cannot yet be proven despite evidence. Murderer still not found. Too many potential suspects. Those close to the Hand and the King are not to be trusted. The Stag is limping and hungry predators lurk in wait to pounce. The wolf protecting him will only make them cautious. Warn him to keep his senses sharp. Many dangers ahead._

The note was not signed. Only a fool would sign something like this and Varys was no fool. But Sub-Zero also knew the man's writing style. It was done in a way only Varys could write it without the parchment being stained by the ink on the writing quill. Even if someone did, no one really knew the man's writing style perfectly that it could fool the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. They often spoke in code. Mixing different words from various languages together to ensure anyone reading them, if intercepted, would need to do a bit of research in decrypting the words to understand what was written.

Searching for more information related to Jon Arryn, several more reports from his Lin Kuei agents found a possible trail and clue into the man's death.

Namely, a poison called the Tears of Lys. A very rare, dangerous, and expensive poison that was said to be tasteless to all who were touched by it. The death would come upon them like a fever, destroying them from the inside out, and the time needed to kill a man was a few hours time.

Given the nature of the poison itself, Sub-Zero had kept it on his "watch list" for poisons one would seek to get in order to make someone's death seem natural. It was those kind of poisons used by assassins who didn't want their actions traced back to them and getting caught. So Sub-Zero had his agents monitoring the suppliers of this deadly and expensive poison with one shipment being made to King's Landing with someone with deep pockets paying for it.

The question now was...who? While there were only a handful of people who could buy this, it was clearly done through agents within agents within multiple agents. The money and the exchange for the poison were done this way on both fronts with the trail going cold to a point where the one who last had the poison and had the money first was soon silenced within a week before Jon Arryn was killed. The same could be said for the one who bought the poison with the money given to him to ensure the trail went cold on both ends.

Whoever did this wanted to make sure it could not be tied to them in any shape or form.

 _Tears of Lys recently bought. Traced the sale and purchase to King's Landing. Could not track the final holder. Suspected second to final holder found dead. Throat slit with the smell of sex, perfume, and wine in the dead man's bedroom. Suspect could be a woman or one final go between agent to final target._

Looking over more information, he stumbled upon one regarding Jon Arryn's wife that raised his eyebrow considerably.

 _Wife of late Hand planning to flee the Capital for the Vale with her son. Has not been of sound mind for many years. Loyalty to the Crown and Jon Arryn in question. The King wished to have her son fostered to Tywin Lannister, but Lady Arryn fled to prevent it. Related incident involved late Lord Hand wishing to have his son fostered to Stannis Baratheon in Dragonstone shortly before his death._

A brief message, but no less significant. The agent sending this clearly thought it was of some relevance given what happened to Jon Arryn himself. Everyone knew the arranged marriage between Lysa Tully to Jon Arryn had not been a healthy one. Jon was old and Lysa was silently bitter about how she had to marry someone practically old enough to be her Father. The fact her sister Catelyn had an arranged marriage that worked despite how it happened didn't help Lysa's mood on the subject either. In Lysa's mind, she had been cheated out of having a loving marriage while her sister had a chance at happiness despite the bastard Ned brought home.

Bitterness was its own poison of the soul. Something that Lysa Tully Arryn had within herself and as the message to Sub-Zero stated, she was not of sound mind.

Could she have poisoned her own husband? And if so, who helped her get the poison? It was expensive, which is why it was so rarely used unless the incredibly wealthy wanted to use such a thing. There were too many pieces in this puzzle that didn't fit and there was not enough evidence to go on to accuse anyone right now of the misdeed. All he could do was suspect Lysa while believing a second influential person was involved in the act. For now, all he could do was have his agents report anything about Lysa Arryn that would be a cause for concern or alarm.

"Grandmaster, this just arrived from our agent in Essos," said a Lin Kuei operative, who came in after knocking.

"Thank you," replied Sub-Zero before opening the parchment to read its contents.

 _Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen are currently in Pentos. Beggar King seeking to wed his sister to the Dothraki Horse Lord Khal Drogo. In exchange, Khal Drogo will march his army on the Seven Kingdoms to conqueror it in the name of the dragon. Meeting will take place in a few weeks. Signs of madness from Viserys. Possibility of being like the Mad King. The mind of Daenerys is still an unknown._

So the last Targaryens aside from Aegon were still alive. While he was happy that was the case given how Stannis had been unable to capture them in part due to a storm, it was concerning to hear how Viserys was showing signs of the madness. If this continued, the boy would be just like the Mad King himself. News such as this would no doubt reach the Master of Whispers, if it didn't already, and soon enough the King would be getting word of it.

And knowing Robert, the man would want both of them dead. Or at least talk about the idea of killing them to prevent a future threat from invading Westeros.

It wouldn't be long before the King arrived in Winterfell. Catelyn already suspected the King would want Ned to becoming the new Hand of the King. Sub-Zero knew she was right in her assumption, but didn't want Ned to think it was an immediate possibility. The title was meant to be given only to the most loyal of subjects by the King himself and the loyalty Ned had to Robert was nearly absolute. Not to mention it was arguably the third highest authority in the land, if you counted the first male born son and Prince when he came of age.

Of course, it was only a great honor depending on who was King at the time, and the Hand of the King being skilled enough to handle the daily chores of running all of the Seven Kingdoms required of them. Jon Arryn had the experience and the skill, but the age factor had been slowly getting to the man, which was why he had tried so hard to keep the peace with so many Houses using his skills in diplomacy. Arranged marriages here. Promises made and kept there. It wasn't easy when the King himself did not attend Small Council meetings and spent most of his days drowning in his vices in order to die a somewhat young age.

Sub-Zero could only hope this situation didn't spiral out of control. He would still make plans to ensure it didn't, but would do everything in his power to prevent anything from happening like it did all those years ago.

(Winterfell-Weeks Later)

Brandon Stark had climbed high to one of his favorite spots in Winterfell to look for the King and his entourage, which was expected to arrive today. The boy was a great climber and loved to do it, much to his Mother's worried displeasure. He had climbed up towers, walls, and other places during all sorts of weather. When it rained, when it was incredibly windy, and even when it was blistering cold. Brandon Stark could climb and could do it all in his sleep.

"Brandon Stark, come down from there this instant!" exclaimed Catelyn while seeing him climb down from the tower he was on.

"I saw him. I saw the King and the entire group with him. They will be here soon!" said Brandon excitedly while he was climbing down from the tower wall.

"I don't care. You could have hurt yourself," said Catelyn with worry only a Mother like herself had for their child.

"But the King had a lot of people with him. Over one hundred I think," said Brandon with his Mother giving him a look that told the boy he was somewhat in trouble.

"How many times have I told you not to climb up those walls? Now promise me no more climbing. Promise!" commanded Catelyn with Brandon looking down at his feet.

"I promise," whispered Brandon before looking up at his Mother, who was now smiling at him.

"Do you know what I have notice? I have noticed that you always lie after looking down at your feet," commented Catelyn while her son smiled back slightly.

"Something he will have to work on in the near future," commented Maester Luwin from behind Catelyn.

"Indeed. Though I honestly don't see any harm in his climbing. Especially when he is so good at it. Though I would recommend some kind of special safety harness to ensure no harm comes to him in the event of a fall," said Sub-Zero now beside the Maester.

"Go get ready and inform your Father of the King's arrival," said Catelyn while her son nodded and ran off to carry out the command.

"Don't be hard on the boy Lady Stark. Brandon is young and agile. There will come a day when he no longer able to climb and miss the days when it was possible," said Sub-Zero since he knew the boy would make a great climber and adventurer if allowed outside of these castle walls.

If his Mother ever let him out beyond these castle walls.

"I do not need advice from you Lin Kuei. What I require is you keeping the _boy_ out of the King's presence while here. I will not have the King insulted by Jon being here nor proof of my husband's infidelity standing beside the rest of my family," stated Catelyn Stark angrily at the Grandmaster.

"That decision is not up to you. It is up to your husband on how he wishes to place Jon when the King and his precession arrive," countered Sub-Zero while ignoring the heated glare the woman was aiming at him.

"I warn you Master Liang. If you do anything to dishonor my husband or House Stark, I will see to it that you regret ever stepping foot into Winterfell all those years ago," said Catelyn before she walked off with Maester Luwin giving him an apologetic look and followed Lady Stark.

"It is a good thing she doesn't know how her daughter Arya has taken a liking to you in terms of wanting to learn how to fight. How she asks for stories of your adventures and what it was like being out there in the world. Not to mention where you are from in the exact sense," commented Lyanna while Sub-Zero looked at her for a second.

"Arya has a lot of your spirit. Your desire to be something beyond what people claim is your station in life. She doesn't wish to be a lady who will spend her days being a loyal and dutiful wife. A lady who will one day give her husband a child or several children. Arya wants to be like you or the warrior women of the world. I'm surprised your brother didn't foster her to House Mormont on Bear Island for just such a thing," said Sub-Zero while Lyanna smirked.

"Are you kidding? Cat would have had a fit if my brother did such a thing. She respects House Mormont for their strength and their loyalty to House Stark. But she also believes fighting in battles and wars are more for a man instead of a lady. You know how Cat's expression changes to an angry scowl when Dorne is ever mentioned or Prince Oberyn's bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes are brought into a conversation," said Lyanna with the memory of one such conversation coming up during a meal with the rest of the family in the Main Hall.

The Sand Snakes had been prince Oberyn's pride and joy. Each one a deadly beauty and each one incredibly skilled in the deadly art of their weapon of choice. Whether it was the sword, spear, or whip it didn't matter. Each one proving they were very much like their Father. When they were old enough, Prince Oberyn had requested Sub-Zero come to Dorne to meet them, and even asked to provide some measure of training to further hone their skills. The boy needed to understand that when it came down to fighting multiple opponents, under no circumstances could you take your eyes off any of them.

One was likely to stab you in the back.

Sub-Zero had complied since he was curious to see how skilled Prince Oberyn's progeny had become and if they could learn from him like their Father did. In addition to the four Sand Snakes, Prince Doran's own son Trystane had also received some training for good measure.

The Sand Snakes had heard a lot about him from their Father and were eager to learn from the man who helped train their sire. Sub-Zero had shown he was impressed with their skills and abilities to use the weapons they employed when fighting. They were a little on the thin side, which was to be expected for those so young. He recommended they perform more physical exercises to increase their muscle mass, but still keep their feminine beauty the Grandmaster knew they would inherit from their Mothers.

"Come on. The King will be here soon. Regardless of what that woman says, I intend to be there to show some measure of respect," said Sub-Zero while Lyanna smirked for a brief second.

(Winterfell Courtyard-Short Time Later)

Within the courtyard of Winterfell, the King rode into the main area, his precession right behind him with the Baratheon banners mixing with the Lannisters. A show of the two Houses acting as one for all to see within the castle walls filled with men, women, and children of the North gathered to greet the man. Behind the King was the Kingsguard, the Hound Ser Sandor Clegane, Jamie Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon, and the royal carriage carrying the Queen and her two remaining children.

When the King got off his horse, it was clear from remembering Robert's form when they saw him last, the man had let himself go. Horribly! Where the man once had muscle had been reduced to fat around his belly. Robert's beard was once well trimmed and kept, but now it was scruffy with strands sticking out in different place. His eyes showed they were slightly red and bloodshot along with his face being flushed from his wine he had earlier in the day.

"Your Grace," said Ned while bowing and his family doing the same and waited for the King to finish giving him a once over.

"You've gotten fat," said Robert with Ned looking at the King, the King's belly, and back up at the King with a "you are on to talk" look on his face.

And the King to laugh since he knew that look and the joke behind before the two hugged each other.

"By the Gods Ned, how long has it been since we saw each other? Nine years? Where the Hell have you been?!" asked Robert after disengaging the hug.

"I have been here defending the North your Grace. Winterfell is yours after all," said Ned with Robert waving his words off.

"Enough of that Ned. I maybe your King, but I'm your friend first. Now, show me what has happened since we last saw each other during the Greyjoy Rebellion," said Robert with Ned smiling and introduced his family to the King starting with his wife and eldest son Robb.

"Your Grace," said Robb with the King smirking at him.

"You're getting big. All of them. Its quite the brood," commented Robert while going over each of them one by one and laughing when Brandon flexed his arm muscles.

It was when Robert got to Lyanna did the large smile slowly left him and looked at the woman he was suppose to marry all those years ago. She smiled gently at him, if only out of politeness.

"Hello Robert," replied Lyanna while the King himself could only nod when looking back.

"Lyanna," said Robert with his voice almost being a whisper and the vocal man he was moments ago had been turned into something far more calm.

"You've not aged well," said Lyanna truthfully since the well muscled warrior from their youth had been reduced to lazy, fat, wine drinking, whoring man with countless bastards under his belt from said whoring.

The Lin Kuei spy network had kept track of Robert's actions over the years and Lyanna had been kept appraised of them per her request to Sub-Zero. She wanted to see just how far Robert would fall after becoming King of the Seven Kingdoms.

"But you have and for the both of us," said Robert since time had not withered away her beauty in his eyes.

It was clear that Robert still loved her, yet knew Lyanna was beyond his reach no matter what he wanted or desired at the moment. One way or another, Rheagar's mark had been left on the both of them, and the scars of the past still ran deep.

"Thank you," replied Lyanna while looking uncomfortable with the way Robert was now staring at her.

Robert must have seen or sensed it too because he quickly focused on the next person beside Lyanna who just so happened to be Sub-Zero.

"King Robert, its been a long time," said Sub-Zero with Robert looking at him with angry eyes, but they mild compared to the anger they had years ago.

"That it has Master Liang. I see you haven't aged a fucking day. Care to reveal the secret behind such a thing?" asked Robert with a small hint of anger, curiosity, and mocking in his tone of voice.

"Those of my bloodline have always aged slowly. Just as we prefer cold weather like the ones the North provides," said Sub-Zero with Robert gruff noise.

"I should have known you would say something like that. Still, you did right by Lyanna all those years ago when I won the Iron Throne. Even after all these years, I imagine your way of doing things has helped her greatly," commented Robert with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Things would have been different without my interference," said Sub-Zero while Robert didn't reply for a moment and it was clear the King was thinking of something beyond his vices.

"Ned, I need to speak with you. In private. You too Master Liang," commanded Robert while motioning both men to follow him to the crypt where they could talk in private.

Where only the dead heard things, yet did not have the power to speak.

"Robert my sweet, we have been riding for a month and since this morning. Surely, this can wait until later," said Cersei while Robert growled and didn't stop.

"Now Ned! Liang!" commanded Robert with Ned grimacing and sending an apologetic look to the Queen.

"Jon, come with me," whispered Sub-Zero with Jon nodding.

"No. Jon stays here. I will not have Ned's bastard be in the King's presence any longer than it has to be," whispered Catelyn harshly while glaring at Jon and Sub-Zero.

"The King commanded I come and by extension Jon will follow. He is my student and a student must learn through life experiences," said Sub-Zero with a slight glare before he motioned for the young Targaryen in hiding in plain sight to follow.

"Insufferable man," commented Catelyn to herself before looking apologetic to Cersei, who simply smiled politely in turn.

Like the Tully, the Lannister woman had no love for bastards...or the Father responsible for fucking the woman who would one day bring them screaming into the world.

"The King was right about one thing. The Grandmaster hasn't changed much since we last saw him," remarked Jamie while Cersei nodded knowing that much was true.

"Where is the Imp?" asked Arya suddenly since she had heard about Tyrion and wanted to see the dwarf in person.

"At a brothel fucking whores no doubt. Fine the little beast," whispered Cersei to Jamie with the man nodding went to find their little brother.

Cersei never liked Tyrion. After what happened with their Mother, she had developed an almost unnatural hatred toward her dwarf of a brother. How she longed to have him killed by her own hands or convince their Father to end Tyrion to avenge the death of Cersei's Mother. For a time, Cersei knew that her Father hated Tyrion too, but she noticed after some time spent with the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, the hated weakened. It was still there, but not as strong as it had once been from the start.

One night, she saw her Father in his chair, staring at the fire he made within his personal study, a goblet of wine in hand, and the man deep in thought. When asking about what he was thinking about, her Father said he was thinking about Tyrion. The beast of a boy that was his son and responsible for killing Tywin's wife that was Cersei's Mother. When she prodded further, Tywin confessed he did not hate Tyrion like he once did. Cersei tried to remind her Father that the woman he loved was dead because of the deformed beast was born into the world. Tywin admitted that was indeed true, but upon further research into the issue done by him personally with the aid of the Casterly Rock Maester revealed that women who birth perfectly normal babies have died numerous more times bringing their children into the world.

In truth, Jamie or Cersei could have equally had a chance of killing Tywin's wife during the birthing process. While that did not happen, the Maester had revealed to Tywin that birth both Jamie and Cersei had nearly killed her too if not for his skills.

And while Tyrion was a disappointment for a Lannister in his eyes, it was no longer for the death of his loving wife. Just his drinking and whoring ways that were similar to King Robert's own path with the exception being Tyrion actually enjoyed reading. Even now, between all of Tywin's children, Tyrion was the most well educated of the three despite his physical stature.

It was actually a shame that Tywin had felt scorned by Sub-Zero when King's Landing was sacked and the Grandmaster had killed Gregor Clegane. The Mountain was the lion's mightiest warrior and Tywin was not one to let such a thing slide when it allowed Elia Martell of Dorne and her daughter to survive. Had they been on better terms, Tywin would have let Tyrion go to Sub-Zero to learn new things like the other sons of High Lords did. But the idea the Grandmaster initially proposed to Tywin all those years ago went out the window after Robert's Rebellion.

(Stark Family Crypt)

"You wished to talk to me your Grace?" asked Ned finally when they were deep enough in the family crypt to talk in private.

"Damn it Ned. Stop with the damn politeness. We're Sworn Brothers! Call me Robert like you use to in the old days. Don't make it a command from your King," replied Robert in his usual gruff tone.

"As you wish, Robert. Now, what is it you wish to talk to me about?" asked Ned while he saw Robert went to pay his own respects to his friend's late Father and older brother.

Those men marched to their deaths. No doubt knowing deep in their minds what awaited them in King's Landing.

"I need you down in King's Landing Ned. Not out up here in the North, freezing your ass and balls off. I need someone I can trust to help give me sound advice on how to rule. I can't trust anyone around me. Not with Jon Arryn dead. Not when everyone is plotting and scheming behind my back. Jon was the only one I trusted and with him gone, I have no one else. That being said, I King Robert of House Baratheon name you, Ned Stark, as Hand of the King!" declared Robert with Ned kneeling.

"I am not worthy of the honor," said Ned while Robert laughed and shook his head.

"I'm not trying to honor you Ned. I'm giving you all my responsibilities so I can drink, hunt, and whore myself into an early grave," said Robert before his smile left and became grim once more.

"And what do you need of me?" asked Sub-Zero with Robert looking more angry, but calm all the same.

"I need you in King's Landing for a time too. Or at least someone from your damn clan who Ned can trust to assist him with his duties. With so many schemers in that fucking city, I'm surprised the people don't look like venomous snakes," said Robert while he was clearly hating the idea of needing the Lin Kuei or Sub-Zero to help him.

"Is this in regards to Jon Arryn's death? Or is this something else entirely?" asked Sub-Zero with Robert sighing.

"Both. I'm not an idiot. Jon was an old man, Gods rest his soul, but there is no way in the Seven Hells the man would just roll over and die like the way he did," remarked Robert while closing his eyes and his hands clenched into fists.

"How did Jon die? I know what was written in the message I received, but what truly happened?" asked Ned curiously.

"I don't know. Which is why I feel so fucking angry right now Ned. One moment, he was fine. Same as always. The next...he was on the floor. In pain. He was burning up inside Ned. Some kind of intense fever from what Pycelle told me. I don't know what kind of fever causes such a death, but I know what happened to him wasn't fucking normal. Not in the slightest," said Robert bitterly and the unspoken words were clear to everyone in the crypt.

There was a possibility of foul play.

"You are not wrong to suspect what has not yet been spoken here Robert. I have recently obtained some evidence that implies Jon Arryn's death was not natural," said Sub-Zero while both Ned and Robert looked at him in shock.

"What? When?" asked Ned curiously.

"Shortly after you received a raven informing you of Lord Arryn's death. I was looking over the information my own spies and agents throughout the Seven Kingdoms sent me. One particular piece of information crossed my desk regarding a poison that produces the symptoms Jon Arryn had before his death. The Tears of Lys. It is a tasteless poison. Very rare and an equally expensive one. Only the incredibly wealthy could buy it," said Sub-Zero while Robert looked like he was ready to explode with rage.

"Poison. But who would poison him? Jon was a man of peace. Loved by all," said Ned since attacking someone like Jon Arryn was attacking the peace he tried so hard to keep.

Sub-Zero merely shrugged.

"I do not know. But its clear Jon was looking into something that someone felt no one, not even the Hand of the King, should be trying to discover. What that something is, I do not know. But it was clearly something very big and very damaging to certain people, if the secret were to come to light," answered Sub-Zero with Ned wincing since he had one of his own and the one person who didn't need to know it was beside them.

"Can you prove it was poison?" asked Robert while his eyes were filled with rage.

"One of the things I did when creating my network, was keep an eye on the movement of the most dangerous of poisons used. Not only in the event the Lin Kuei would have to use them, but also to see who else would. As I said, the Tears of Lys are very rare because of the drops needed to kill are two, maybe three when put in one's food or drink. So the very contents in a bottle would be enough for a single moment. No more for a second attempt. At the same time, those few drops in the bottle holding the poison are expensive to say the least. One could even say it would even be cheaper to pay for a small army of sell swords over buying such a poison," said Sub-Zero with Ned and Robert looking at each other.

"And someone from King's Landing bought this poison? Who?!" asked Robert while wishing to find out so he could personally smash the fucker's brain into mush with his war hammer.

"I don't know. My agents followed the trail in terms of who paid and who was receiving the poison. Unfortunately, the last person who had the poison was killed. I suspect the actual buyer arranged for his agent to die so all evidence of involvement would be lost," said Sub-Zero with Robert looking infuriated by this and Ned looked grim.

"Damn it all to the Seven fucking Hells!" exclaimed Robert, but quickly calmed himself down knowing his voice echoed while in the crypt.

No need for anyone to come and investigate.

"Whoever poisoned Jon Arryn will still be in King's Landing. Watching and waiting for the right time to make another move," surmised Ned knowing that killing Jon Arryn had weakened what was left of Robert's position as King.

"Indeed. Jon Arryn's death will be a major blow to Robert. Even with you being made Hand of the King will only delay the schemer for a short time," said Sub-Zero while he was already thinking several steps ahead.

"To see how I act as Hand and my habits," concluded Ned with Sub-Zero nodding.

"It seems my teachings stayed with you over the years. Good. I suggest you use that mind of yours to think about them to help reveal the traitor to the Seven Kingdoms," said Sub-Zero with Robert showing signs of being impatient.

"Surely this traitor will make his move soon enough, but is there anyway to truly know who it is before one is made?" asked Ned with Sub-Zero nodding.

"There are many clues to who will be the traitor. Though nothing truly solid and accusing one or more will not make much headway. Usually, the traitor is someone who comes to you as a friend or at least claiming to be one. They will not be surprised to see you when arriving in King's Landing to not only serve the King, but trying to investigate Jon's death while watching our every move. They will be wealthy, influential, and offer to aid you in your quest to find the murderer when they were the one who did it or know the one who did it secretly in their name," said Sub-Zero with Robert letting out an angry noise.

"That could be anybody in King's Landing or even the rest of the Seven Kingdoms! It could be Varys. Tywin Lannister even if he residing at Casterly Rock. Grand Maester Pycelle. By the Gods, my own brothers Stannis and Renly could be actual suspects in Jon Arryn's death," said Robert while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"While you make a good argument Robert, none of them would be the culprit in this case. For one, your brothers would never do anything to disrupt your rule. Jon Arryn meant the world to you. Just like he does for Ned. Plus, I know those two well enough to know they would never do anything of that nature. Tywin Lannister gains nothing from Jon Arryn's death with the exception of possibly being made Hand of the King in his place. While he could afford it, the timing of Tywin using such a move for that purpose is wrong for that very reason. The man is arguably too old for the job and too busy being the Warden of the West. Besides, Robert would never have Tywin become Hand of the King now due to the dislike both men have for each other," said Sub-Zero with Robert grunting.

"Damn. I would have loved to have a valid excuse to remove House Lannister from their position of power. Not to mention that smug arrogant look on Tywin's face," commented Robert with a sigh.

"What about Varys?" asked Ned since many kept the Spider at arms length despite the man's reach going well beyond it.

"No. Varys gains nothing from Jon Arryn's death. If anything, he loses more from the act since Jon was a man of peace. The Spider wishes to keep the Seven Kingdoms intact and whole. The death of such a reliable Hand of the King, who as you said 'was loved by all' doesn't help him in the slightest," said Sub-Zero with Ned nodding.

"And Pycelle? Surely a Grand Maester such as himself has a way to get it," remarked Robert while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"No. Granted Pycelle could get the poison, he cannot afford to buy it through other means outside of the Citadel. And they would have made a record of it since such a poison is not given out lightly with a reason for acquiring it being mentioned. No exceptions. Though I do suspect the man may know more than what he would willingly admit. Given his title as Grand Maester, I am somewhat surprised he was unable to provide a possible antidote for him since the poison can be treated before death can take effect. Unless of course, he was paid _not to_ provide it," said Sub-Zero while Ned and Robert looking angry since the Grand Maester should have seen the signs and treated Jon right away.

"Who else could it be? Who else has such wealth to buy such a poison?" asked Robert with the man clearly losing what little patience he had left.

He was met by silence from the Grandmaster while thinking over any other possible suspects close to the King or the late Hand.

"Lord Baelish comes to mind," said Sub-Zero while Ned and Robert looked at him in surprise.

"Lord Baelish?" asked Ned while looking at Robert.

"My Master of Coin. He handles the Crown's finances and has helped Jon with handling all of its business dealings over the years," answered Robert since he had only met the man once and already saw the man as a sniveling little cunt.

"He also just so happens to be someone Catelyn Tully and Lysa Tully knew during their childhood at Riverrun. I met him five years ago during Holster Tully's name day," added Sub-Zero with Ned looking worried by this.

"But why poison Jon? There was no reason to go that far?" questioned Ned since it did not make sense for Baelish to go that far.

"I do not fully understand it myself. I have suspicions, but that is all I have right now in regards to his motives. I have nothing else to go on," said Sub-Zero with Robert letting out another angry growl.

"Piss on that! When I get back to King's Landing, the first thing I am doing is putting that cunt Baelish's head on a pike!" exclaimed Robert angrily since he was not about to let Jon Arryn's murder go free for long.

"While Lord Baelish could have provided the actual poison and the means to buy it with the wealth a man of his position has access to as Master of Coin, I doubt he was in fact the one to administer it. He is he head of this conspiracy, but not the one who performed the deed made from it," warned Sub-Zero with Robert glaring at him.

"I'll make him talk. By the time I get done with that cunt, Baelish will tell me everything I want to know," said Robert while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"Unlikely. Chances are, the man has made it his business to gain various 'friends' within the Seven Kingdoms. Both within King's Landing and other parts of the world. If you come back to King's Landing enraged as you are now, it will get back to him, and Lord Baelish will flee elsewhere to escape justice," said Sub-Zero while the King's growl grew louder.

"And what would you have me do? Nothing?! Let that smug cunt sit in his wonderful bed in the morning. A cushy chair at one of his brothels while one or more of the whores he has from his establishments sucks his cock from time to time?!" asked Robert and felt his anger increasing at the image of Baelish living a happy life while Jon Arryn's murder went unpunished.

"No. I am not saying that. But if you storm back, you risk tipping your hand to where the man will flee. To prevent his escape from King's Landing, we must make him assume his actions in this plot are unknown to us. There are still some people in King's Landing who are possibly tied to this plot. We will need to find out who they are before making a move on Lord Baelish and capture them before they are potentially silenced. By obtaining the necessary proof that Baelish conspired to kill Jon Arryn, all his so called 'friends' will abandon him. No one wants to be associated with the man who plotted the Hand of the King's death," explained Sub-Zero with Robert calming down, but still pretty pissed off.

"Fine! But I still want you or someone you trust and believe is ready to come back with us to King's Landing," said Robert with Sub-Zero thinking it over.

"Jon is ready," said Sub-Zero with Jon/Aegon looking at him in surprise while Ned was looking fearful.

"Jon? You means Ned's bastard?" asked Robert with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I saw potential in the boy and trained him in the ways of the Lin Kuei. I believe he is ready to learn more can only be obtained by going out into the world," said Sub-Zero with Robert thinking it over and missing Ned's worried look he was now sending to the Grandmaster.

"You trust the boy Ned?" asked Robert knowing the answer, but felt like saying it all the same.

"Of course. He is of my blood. While Jon may not have my family name, he is no less a Stark," said Ned while swallowing his fear of Robert knowing the truth and giving the Grandmaster "we will talk about this later" glare.

"We'll we can change that. Come here Jon!" commanded Robert, who saw the boy was silently watching everything per Sub-Zero's command.

"Yes your Grace," said Jon while approaching.

"Remove your mask. I want to see your face," said Robert with Jon glancing at Sub-Zero, who nodded and young secret Targaryen removing it.

"I see a lot of Stark features on you Jon. It's clear you have Stark blood running strongly in their veins. I know your wife would have given you grief Ned, but it would have been easy to legitimize him if asked," said Robert while giving Jon a once over while the boy glanced at Sub-Zero, who motioned for him to do nothing.

"I didn't want to upset Cat. She is not as welcoming to Jon as I would have hoped after all these years," said Ned while wincing since he had planned to tell his wife the truth, but it just never seemed the right time.

"Most women wouldn't be so welcoming of their husband's bastard. Unless you are from Dorne," remarked Robert while he continued to look at Jon/Aegon before nodding as if a decision was made.

"So have you decided?" asked Sub-Zero with Robert letting out a snort.

"Of course! Jon Snow, kneel before your King," said Robert with Jon doing so and saw Robert take out his sword.

Ned of course looked a tad fearful while Sub-Zero remained calm since he knew what Robert was going to do.

"I, King Robert of House Baratheon, first of my name, Lord of the...ah you know all the bloody titles that go with it. Anyway, by right as King of the Seven Kingdoms, I hereby declare you Jon as a legitimized member of House Stark. With all the rights, privileges, and titles that go with it. Stand be recognized...Jon Stark!" exclaimed Robert while Jon looked at him in shock before looking over at his "Father" with joy and saw Ned smiling at him.

"Congratulations Jon. This was long overdue," remarked Sub-Zero with Jon smiling and put his mask back on.

"Thank you your Grace for this great honor. I will not squander it," said Jon/Aegon while Robert just laughed.

"You can honor me by helping Ned find all those fuckers in King's Landing seeking to undo my rule as King. I need someone with sharp eyes, a sharp mind, and if necessary a sharp blade to remove my enemies. I know I can count on Ned here. And with his now legitimized son, I feel safer already," said Robert while giving the young man a solid pat on the shoulder.

"Yes your Grace. Though is one minor problem that hasn't been addressed yet," said Jon with Ned and Robert looking at him in confusion.

"Oh? What's that?" asked Robert curiously.

"Who here is going to be courageous enough to tell Lady Stark the wonderful news of my legitimization?" asked Jon with Ned grimacing knowing it would be him and Robert also knew it too.

Which was why he was letting out a belly filled laugh at his Sworn Brother's expense.

Sub-Zero merely smirked behind his mask. The boy would go far indeed. Aegon was still a little rough around the edges, but the Grandmaster knew with time the young Targaryen in hiding would make him proud. The boy held none of the Targaryen madness his family was known to have due to the constant inbreeding. Sub-Zero believed with the diversity from the Stark bloodline nullified that issue in Aegon himself. House Stark had married into so many different Houses in the North to the point where they even branched out to form House Karstark, over inbreeding. As a result, the diversity within their House was immense, and the chance of madness plaguing them was practically zero.

Part of him just hoped the boy was indeed ready for the trials ahead. Sub-Zero had taught the boy much since helping in raising Aegon in the ways of the Lin Kuei. However, the true teacher that surpassed all others was life itself and the experiences that went with it.

And failure during such trials usually meant death.

'Elder Gods, please watch over this boy, and the Lin Kuei during these soon to be trying times,' thought Sub-Zero while Aegon hugged his "Father" one more time and the group walked out of the crypt to reveal the news.

(A/N: YAY! Another long chapter. Hope you enjoyed this. I know some of you think that I am moving things in certain areas to fast, but I am not. Yes, Littlefinger was made the prime suspect in Jon Arryn's murder, but he won't be arrested right away as Sub-Zero has pointed out. Littlefinger has spies everywhere with his network rivaling Varys if push came to shove. Also, Littlefinger has friends in high places. He knows the dirty secrets of various High Lords and influential people (see Season 1 for some examples when he is talking to Varys in the throne room about certain things) all who have questionable vices. They would do everything in their power to keep those secrets from coming out and aid Littlefinger in whatever way he wished. As such, Sub-Zero wants them to act like they don't suspect Littlefinger of the act, and they also have to find out who else he employed to have Jon Arryn killed. As for Cersei and Jamie, you will see how things are handled as things around them progress. Until next time...PEACE!)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-Off to King's Landing

It wasn't long before Jon's legitimization soon spread throughout Winterfell. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the North knew. Sub-Zero already suspected by the end of the day, half the North will know about Jon's rise in status. Though whether they would be pleased by it was another matter. Bastards were not loved and in some cases the ones who were legitimized were loved less. The idea of someone from a lowly position rising up to a much better one in life was something of a mixed bag with this realm.

Few rose from their lowly stations in life and even fewer tolerated them for it. 

With Jon/Aegon, the situation was a mixed bag since some thought it was fine for the boy to become an official Stark. He had earned it. Never once complained, asked for anything in his life, and earned his right to live in the North.

Others were not so welcoming to this news.

"How could you let this happen?!" demanded Catelyn Tully Stark angrily while she was pacing around in her husband's office.

"He couldn't exactly refuse the King," commented Sub-Zero while the Tully woman now turned her anger towards him.

"My husband's bastard is now a legitimized Stark. Do you realize what that means?! If, the Old and New Gods forbid, my husband, and eldest son die, Jon would have a claim to ruling over Winterfell before Bran? Do you know the shame that would bring me? To Ned? To me? To Brandon?" demanded Catelyn while Sub-Zero remained calm despite the anger being aimed at him by the woman.

"Jon would only bring shame to House Stark as a legitimized member if he did something horrible. Name one thing the boy has done when growing up that would have dishonored House Stark as a bastard?" countered Sub-Zero with Catelyn getting right in his face.

"Being born comes to mind," replied Catelyn while Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed.

"Enough! Cat, I know you are angry. At Master Liang. At Jon. At Robert. Even myself for the way things have gone, but this anger you are feeling...its misplaced," said Ned while Catelyn looking at him with anger and confusion.

"Misplaced? How in the Seven Hells are my feelings on this matter misplaced?" asked Catelyn while Ned looked at Sub-Zero for a second.

"You should have told her years ago Ned. The blame for this is entirely on you," said Sub-Zero knowing Lyanna would back him up on this if she were in the room right now.

"And I told you why I didn't tell her. Why I couldn't tell her," said Ned firmly with Sub-Zero sighing.

"Weak excuses. Your own fears for the boy's safety blinded you," said Sub-Zero while ignoring Catelyn looking between him and Ned.

"Considering what would happen if the truth were revealed and into the world, I was justified in my fears!" stated Ned with anger in his voice.

"We are talking about telling a handful of people knowing the secret Ned. Not the entire North," countered Sub-Zero while Ned was glaring back him.

"What is going on? Will one of you please tell me what secret you are referring to right now?!" demanded Catelyn with Ned sighing heavily.

"Cat...what I am about to tell you _must_ not be repeated to anyone. Not even Jon. Not until he's ready," said Ned with Sub-Zero scoffing.

'The boy is ready now. I did not train Lyanna's child to this point just to break down on an emotional level when hearing the truth,' thought Sub-Zero while waiting for Ned to tell Catelyn the truth.

"What truth? Ned, what is going on?" asked Catelyn while Ned sighed once more.

"Jon is and was not my bastard son. In fact, I did not lay with another woman when I was fighting during Robert's Rebellion. Robert himself did enough of that for half the army," said Ned with a small smirk on his face at his attempt at humor.

"But if Jon is not your bastard, who does he belong to? Why raise him as such?" asked Catelyn with Ned looking hesitant to answer.

As if the truth would suddenly destroy everything around him.

"Jon is...my nephew. He is Lyanna's son," said Ned while Cat looked between him and Sub-Zero with the latter nodding.

"Lyanna's son? But...how? How could your sister been pregnant? Unless...by the Gods!" gasped Catelyn after putting everything together in her mind.

"Yes. Rheagar is the Father. She and the Prince married in secret. The whole reason for the war...was a lie," said Ned with Catelyn looking even more shocked when hearing this.

"When did you learn the truth between them?" asked Catelyn while Ned looked grim.

"When we were in Dorne at the Tower of Joy. The only people from that day who know the truth are myself, Master Liang, Prince Oberyn, Ser Arthur Dayne of Starfall, and the small group of handmaidens who were there when Lyanna was pregnant. My bannermen I took with us don't know anything since they did not see her until much later. My sister confessed it all to me shortly after we arrived and helped bring her son into the world. She nearly died in the process if not for the skills of Master Liang and the aid of Prince Oberyn working with the handmaidens with us. Ser Arthur Dayne already knew since Rheagar had assigned him to protect Lyanna shortly after she became pregnant," said Ned while revealing the plan to hide Jon/Aegon in plain sight in order to ensure people like Tywin Lannister and Robert wouldn't discover the truth.

If they did, the problems it would bring would be immeasurable. At least for a time with old wounds from the war needing to be healed.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" asked Catelyn while she now felt horrible in terms of treating Lyanna's son so horribly.

"We needed you to believe the lie was the truth. If you were to suddenly embraced Jon as a member of the family shortly after he was brought here, people would ask questions. It would be difficult to explain why Catelyn Tully Stark, a married woman, was not hating her husband's bastard. The living proof of his unfaithfulness. The living proof that he slept with another woman and broke his vows as a husband," answered Sub-Zero while the Tully woman flinched slightly since she had thought those things about the boy when Ned first brought him to Winterfell.

"Besides, I had hoped as time went by, you would have come to accept Jon as a member of the family. That you would look beyond his status as a bastard, which labeled him, and be a second mother to him. Lyanna cannot officially call him her son despite how we set things up to eventually have her 'adopt' him. This was done under the pretense of people believing she was filling the empty hole in her heart for being unable to conceive a child after what happened to her," said Ned while Catelyn looking shocked by this news to the point where the woman had to sit down.

"No wonder she glared at me. Defended Jon with such a protectiveness. I should have seen it. I am the same way with my own children. I thought Lyanna was doing it out of some form of grief in not being able to call herself a Mother and saw Jon as the child she always wanted," said Catelyn when she recalled how Lyanna stood by Jon's bedside the whole time he was sick with the pox.

Catelyn had felt so responsible for that issue. Even confessing to Lyanna of her prayer to the Seven to kill Jon in some manner in order to remove him from her life and the shame the boy brought House Stark. This in turn made the Stark woman nearly kill Catelyn after finding out the truth of the woman's actions. The near attempted murder was prevented thanks to Sub-Zero being in the room to use his ice powers to keep the boy's fever down.

In the end, Catelyn had left the room to pray again, but in this case, to remove the desire to see Jon dead. In return, she had promised to love the boy as her own son, and to have Ned legitimize him as a Stark.

But when the time came to live up to her promises...she couldn't! Catelyn Tully Stark was unable to keep her promise to the Gods and all because of her hate. All because she could not love (at a time) a Motherless child seeking love from others he would never have due to his title as a bastard.

"Cat, I am telling you this now because there is no point in hiding it from you anymore now that the boy has been made an official member of House Stark. But, we also need you to keep this information from everyone else. Even our children," said Ned while Catelyn looked shocked.

"But they should know Ned. If Robb or Brandon or even Sansa were to notice me acting differently toward Jon, they will ask why the sudden change. You can't expect me to hide this from them?!" replied Catelyn with Ned shaking his head.

"It's too soon for them to know the truth. Jon doesn't even know the truth. People I care about and trust with my life such as Jon Arryn, my Foster Father, didn't know. If people knew about Jon's real name being Aegon Targaryen and was Rheagar Targaryen's son, it will bring about a whole new war. Robb is not yet ready to know. I will tell him soon. But Brandon and Sansa are too young. Arya will draw too much attention to the situation if she finds out," said Ned while Catelyn hating the idea of keeping things from her children.

But for the good of the realm and various Houses, she would be silent.

(King's Quarters)

"I cannot believe you did this! You legitimized Ned Stark's bastard? Why? Because he asked you too?" demanded Cersei angrily since she was in the room and heard what the man had done.

And naturally, she wasn't pleased in the slightest. Her own husband had a small army of bastards running around with the various whores who caught his fancy. Cersei hated him for that, as any married woman would when it came to their husband's infidelities. Now here he was, King Robert of House Baratheon, legitimizing Ned Stark's bastard child, and acting like nothing was wrong.

Clearly the wine Robert drank everyday had destroyed more of his mind than even she thought possible.

"Knock it off woman! Ned is my Sworn Brother. We fought in two wars together. Knee deep in blood, guts, and shit while fighting the likes you couldn't imagine while waiting for me to return to King's Landing. He didn't even ask me to do it. Nor did the fucking Lin Kuei Grandmaster. I did it because I saw the potential in the lad and it wasn't going to be reached so long as the boy was labeled a bastard," countered Robert while Cersei just glared at him.

"Should I expect more of these legitimizations from you? How many more bastards are you going to legitimize?" demanded Cersei with a hint of paranoia in her voice.

It wasn't just the fact Robert legitimized Jon into being a Stark that had the Lannister woman angry beyond measure. It was fear that Robert would suddenly get it into his fat drunken head to legitimize one or two of his bastard children and possibly challenge her son Joffrey for the Iron Throne.

She would not have it.

"Enough woman! I did what I did for Ned because he is my Sworn Brother and now my loyal Hand. Nothing more," said Robert and gave Cersei a look that told the woman this was the end of the argument.

(Winterfell Main Hall-Night of the Feast)

The food and wine were being presented to everyone who attended the feast with music, laughter, and joy for everyone in the room. The King was in the middle of it, laughing a boisterous laugh, a large goblet of wine in one hand, and the ass of a serving girl in the other. It didn't matter if his wife was watching with disgust or anyone else who knew what the man was doing was wrong since he was a married man. He was the King and the man could do just about anything his heart desired right now.

Beside Cersei, the Lady of Winterfell that was Catelyn Tully sat beside her, and politely trying to make small talk with the Queen. To her credit, Cersei was polite back, but she was anything but happy right now. Robert had considered an arranged marriage between Joffrey and Sansa in order to bind Baratheon and Stark bloodlines together like he had wanted with Lyanna Stark and himself all those years ago.

Cersei despised the North. Despised the Starks. And she especially despised the woman who had cast a shadow over her marriage to Robert. All the man could think about when with her or his whores was Lyanna Stark. It was humiliating and embarrassing to Cersei that her marriage was a fruitless one due to some she-wolf of the North. Even when said she-wolf was unreachable, broken, and useless in the ways a woman would be as a wife, Robert _still_ wanted her. The only reason he couldn't was due to the damage caused by Rheagar raping Lyanna and Tywin Lannister wanting the new King to marry Cersei, who was ready to do her duty.

At least Lyanna had not attended the feast. The woman clearly didn't want to be around Robert and had retired early for the day. Which was fine with Cersei since she didn't want to see the Northern bitch any more than she wanted to be in the North.

And the last thing she wanted was her "pure lion" that was her son Joffrey to marry the blushing red haired Stark girl Sansa. The girl would gush and bat her eyes at Joffrey and to Cersei's anger, the boy seemed somewhat interested in Sansa. However, it was clear her son didn't know how to feel or act on the feelings he did for the girl.

Cersei had no intention of letting such feelings for Sansa, if they existed at all, to grow, and intended to make sure Joffrey understood the importance of keeping the girl at an arm's length. She would not have the Stark girl influence her son to do anything that was a threat to House Lannister or the power Cersei wielded as Queen.

She caught the appearance of Sub-Zero and Jon Stark entering the Main Hall with both men greeting Ned Stark. Both the Grandmaster and his student were without their masks tonight and Cersei was a tad surprised the cryomancer had not aged a day after all these years. The Queen remembered him clearly from when she was a little girl and seeing the man again without an ounce of time touching him in the slightest made Cersei jealous inside.

How could a man like him, not age after nearly 20 years? And all the while, Cersei, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms looked in the mirror to see her own beauty was starting to end. She was still attractive and beautiful, as many men always stared at Cersei with lust and desire, but kept it hidden from her brute of a husband. But she knew it was only a matter of time before the wrinkles set in, her hair went from vibrant golden to a dull gray, and her once beautiful body became shriveled up like that damn Olenna Tyrell.

Focusing on Jon (and recently made) Stark, she saw him sitting beside his half brother Robb, who welcomed him completely. How anyone could do that was beyond her. To embrace another sibling who was only half of your blood felt so wrong to Cersei. To her, it would be a serious betrayal to the woman who brought Cersei into the world if she had a bastard for a sibling sired by her Father.

It was also a wonder that Catelyn Tully Stark did not show the slightest bit of hate toward the former bastard son of Ned Stark. Instead, the red haired woman seemed to look at him with a sense of joy, and even a hint of...sorrow? Why would this woman feel such things for the living proof of her husband's unfaithfulness?

Northern women were strange indeed, even if they weren't from the North to begin with.

While this was happening, Sub-Zero excused himself to walk outside in order to clear his head due to the party not being to his liking. He was all for merry events, but nothing like what was happening in the Main Hall of Winterfell.

"I hear Ned Stark's bastard is no longer a bastard," commented Tyrion Lannister while walking over to Sub-Zero and drinking wine from his wine skin.

"Legitimized by the King himself," said Sub-Zero while looking over at Tyrion.

While Tywin never did have his youngest son participate in learning from the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, it didn't mean the two didn't cross paths on occasion. During the time after Robert's Rebellion, Sub-Zero never truly kept himself isolated to one area for too long. He had traveled from one end of the Seven Kingdoms to the next and on occasion, met the "imp" of House Lannister. When the two met, Tyrion was at a low point in his life, as he had just married the girl of his dreams...only for his ruthless and cruel Father to ruin it. The Head of House Lannister wouldn't stand for his son to marry a lowly peasant girl and decided to teach Tyrion a lesson in going against the way of things when it came to their House.

While staying at the Inn where Tyrion was drinking himself into an early grave at a speed which could rival Robert's own, Sub-Zero approached the youngest of Tywin Lannister's brood. Jamie had been nearby when Tywin had committed to act of having the poor girl taken by an entire garrison of Lannister men, each paying the girl after they were done, and making Tyrion watch it all happen. Jamie had felt his Father was wrong to go to such lengths against Tyrion and told his Father as much. But Tywin ignored his son over the issue since he was the Head of House Lannister and would do everything in his power to ensure it was ruled under his iron fist with zero tolerance for his children going against him.

So it was only natural for the young Lannister to drown himself in wine to numb the pain of seeing such a horrible thing. But Sub-Zero also knew if this wasn't handled now, the poor boy would be a drunkard like Robert had become after winning the Iron Throne. The young Lannister risked becoming someone who used wine to get drunk in order to make the pain go away, only for the pain to become immune to the drink itself. The end result was Tyrion drinking more and more until he drank himself to death in a state of seemingly never ending depression.

When Sub-Zero introduced himself, Tyrion had to think for a few long moments on who was talking to him before it hit young man in the face. Naturally, the wine made Tyrion talk back rude and harshly toward the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. But the man brushed it off since Tyrion was already incredibly drunk from the wine and wasn't in the right state of mind to have a civilized conversation.

One drinking binge and hangover later, Tyrion was ready to talk to Sub-Zero with the two become respectable acquaintances over the years. Tyrion had a love of books and reading them at night by the candle before bed before falling asleep. Sub-Zero would tell him some stories and about his own "adventures" during his time in Earthrealm and some of the things he did before coming the Seven Kingdoms. Fighting in the Mortal Kombat Tournaments, the history as he knew it relating to the Elder Gods, and the creatures he had fought from different realms.

Tyrion loved them all.

In return, Tyrion would send Sub-Zero books on the Seven Kingdoms from the library at Casterly Rock pertaining to history, the study of plant life, medicine, and anything else that would interest the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. In many ways, the young man had become a resource gathering man and unofficial agent of the Lin Kuei, who could get things that were usually too pricy to obtain unless absolutely necessary.

And being from a House as wealthy as House Lannister given the gold mines in the West, Tyrion could get just about anything and everything. Provided his Father never found out about some of his purchases or where the went after being bought. Tywin Lannister had never let the scorn of losing the Mountain all those years ago at the hands of the Lin Kuei leave him.

"He's an important piece now, in this Game of Thrones we play," commented Tyrion with a smirk on his face.

"Better to be a valuable knight on the board over that of an expendable pawn," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding at his words.

"True, but it also makes him a more inviting target. I hope you trained him well, for both your sakes," said Tyrion with Sub-Zero nodding in agreement.

"He will be tested down in King's Landing. Even with my teachings and training, there is no guarantee the boy will endure life destroying hardship," said Sub-Zero knowing the true test for Jon/Aegon was what life held beyond the walls of this castle.

"Aside from this surprise news about Jon now becoming a member of House Stark, how are you my friend?" asked Tyrion with Sub-Zero shrugging.

"I am as well as can be given my time here in the North. How has your time traveling and walking around the Seven Kingdoms since the last time we saw each other?" asked Sub-Zero with Tyrion smirking.

"Oh this and that. Drinking good wine. Fucking the best whores in the finest of brothels. Reading wonderful books and enjoying my life while I'm still young and able," replied Tyrion with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"Remember what I told you about your vices. Do not let them control you. I know the pain in your heart from what Tywin did eats at your being, but by enslaving yourself to those vices will only make him right in the end," warned Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding and looking away into the night sky with a sad look on his face.

"It is hard not to go into these vices. Whether I'm near Father or something that reminds me of my former wife. I feel the need. The impulse. But more importantly...I feel the pain of that moment," replied Tyrion sadly while closing his eyes and drank some more wine from his wine skin.

"I know. I've been there Tyrion. Moments from my past, the people I knew...and lost. The pain is overwhelming at times. You think of ways to drown out the pain and the choices in front of you are sometimes worse than the pain itself," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion just nodding before a thought occurred to the young Lannister.

"How do you cope with the pain. With the loss? In all the times we have talked or written letters...I never asked you," said Tyrion and wondered why he never asked the man.

"I cope by thinking about them. Whether they are alive or not is irrelevant. I know I will never see them again until the day I die. So I channel my pain into determination in order to rise above what I could be if I don't make the attempt. To prove I can be better. To not become something unbefitting of their memory," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion smiling and decided to hold off drinking for a bit.

"Wise words. Of course, I would expect nothing less from the man who trained both of my brothers," said Benjen Stark after riding in on horseback and dismounting.

"Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch at Castle Black," said Sub-Zero with the man in front of him smirking.

"And you are Master Liang. Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Your visits to the Wall from time to time are always the talk of the Main Hall," commented Benjen before giving the man a firm hand shake.

"Considering the cold doesn't bother me or I can make ice form from my hands will do that to people," said Sub-Zero while Benjen laughed.

"Aye, it does. I remember how Thorne nearly shit himself when you did that. Some even drew their swords thinking you were some kind of White Walker who got over the Wall," said Benjen since he was there that day when the man walked into Castle Black.

The only real difference between him and the others was Benjen knew who Sub-Zero was since Ned and Brandon had talked about the man all the time after returning to Winterfell from their time with him. Commander Mormont sat down with Sub-Zero during his visits talking about the status of the Wall, the people in it, and the equipment no longer running properly.

When they weren't talking about the status of the Wall's deterioration, the two men could be found talking about other things like philosophy, strategy, and shared past experiences in battle. Benjen had never seen the old Bear of House Mormont look so relaxed after the Grandmaster left following his visits. Even the elderly Maester Aemon took a shine to the Grandmaster and seemed to see that there was more to Grandmaster then they realized.

"And those same members of the Night's Watch attacked. Only to be knocked down with a few well placed hits. After that, I became a pseudo training instructor for all of the new recruits and anyone else in need of a training session," added Sub-Zero with Benjen now smirking further since Thorne had been the first of many to be "instructed" by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

The man gave up after three lessons and coming up with a poor excuse before leaving the training circle. Some had followed after Thorne, but many stayed since Sub-Zero wanted to make sure that they knew how to fight properly in the event their sword, axe, spear, or whatever kind of weapon used was lost to them. The man also taught them various forms of survival techniques used to live off the land in case they went over the Wall and the supplies they had became scarce. Foraging for food good mean the difference between life and death, which the Grandmaster stressed upon them so they knew what to look for when it came to finding food that wasn't animal in question.

Which raised the life expectancy of the Night Watch members considerably. Even during the more brutal winters.

"Despite what Thorne may tell you Master Liang, the Night's Watch will always consider you as a friend," said Benjen with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Thank you Benjen. Do enjoy the feast taking place inside the Main Hall. I believe your brother will be happy to see you," said Sub-Zero with Benjen nodding and headed for the Main Hall.

"You didn't tell him about Jon's legitimization," commented Tyrion since he was sure the Stark of the Night's Watch would be happy about such news.

"It is not my place to tell him despite Jon being my student. Ned should be the one to tell him," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding since it made sense.

"Well, I'm off to get something to eat. Enjoy the rest of this cold night Master Liang," said Tyrion while he walked off to enjoy his meal to go with the wine already in his belly.

"I might as well enjoy it. I have a feeling its going to be the last one we have that was so peaceful for a long time," said Sub-Zero to himself.

(Winterfell-Sometime Later)

Sub-Zero wondered if his instincts always being right was a good thing. As it turned out, peaceful night ended sooner than he would have liked. Maester Luwin came to his guest quarters stating Ned and Catelyn Stark for something of extreme importance. When he asked if it was about his student, Maester Luwin simply shook his head and stated it was another matter unrelated to the newly added Stark of the family.

"You're certain of this?" asked Sub-Zero while he analyzed the handwriting on the piece of parchment given to him by Ned despite Catelyn initial protest.

"It is my sister's handwriting. I would know it anywhere," said Catelyn while she saw the Lin Kuei Grandmaster looking over her sister's handwriting.

"Interesting," said Sub-Zero with his eyes carefully studying every word written.

"What is?" asked Ned curiously.

"This message states that Lysa Arryn's husband was killed by the Lannisters and now she fears for her life. How she fled to the Vale to protect herself and her son from harm," said Sub-Zero calmly.

"We already know someone murdered Jon Arryn and that my sister clearly believes the Lannisters are involved," said Catelyn while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"Unfortunately, your sister is clearly wrong or is possibly part of the conspiracy to kill the late Hand of the King. The handwriting is too perfect. Too calm. Too precise. If she was truly fearful, the handwriting would be scratchy, almost unrecognizable. This was done with a calm and steady hand. Not someone fearful for their life or the life of their child," said Sub-Zero since he knew ones emotions could be put into their writing and reveal their current state when putting words on parchment.

"Conspiracy? To murder her husband? Outrageous! My sister would never do such a thing!" exclaimed Catelyn angrily while Ned looked grim.

"And yet the handwriting on this parchment says differently. You said it yourself, this is her handwriting. Anyone in her position would be making mistakes or show signs of the handwriting being off. But there is no hesitation in the writing on this parchment. Your sister was calm when she wrote this. Not worried. Not afraid for her life," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn looked even more enraged.

"This is absurd! I will not stand here and let you dishonor my sister as some _conspirator_ in her own husband's murder. My sister is many things, but I do not believe she would lie to me about this," said Catelyn while Ned looked at Sub-Zero with a knowing look and it was clear now on who could have gotten close to Jon Arryn to give him the poison.

No one ever truly suspected the dutiful wife.

"Ned! Surely you don't believe my sister could do this? I know my sister. She would not do this!" exclaimed Catelyn while Ned didn't look convinced.

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Sub-Zero with Catelyn glaring at him.

"Five years ago. On our Father's name day. Why?" asked Catelyn with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"She's changed. My spies throughout the Seven Kingdoms report to me on all the major players within it. From all Houses. No exceptions. From what they reported to me prior to the King's arrival, the woman's mentality is in question. Her message to you is not to be trusted," said Sub-Zero before rolling up the parchment and putting it away.

"What are you doing? My sister explicitly instructed me to destroy that message after I read it," said Catelyn with Sub-Zero looked at her now with a more serious look.

"I'm sure she did. But considering her state of mind, I would prefer it wasn't in case you are called upon to provide evidence of your sister making such accusations against the Lannisters," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn looking even more angry.

"You think my sister would lie about this? Lie and denounce me from ever receiving such a message from her?" asked Catelyn with Sub-Zero nodding.

"As I said, your sister is not right in the mind. This parchment is the only proof you have of her making the accusations against the Lannisters," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn now looking from him to Ned to Maester Luwin.

"He has a point Lady Stark. People will lie, even betray their family, if they have some form of reason behind it. Madness or not. The parchment would provide validity to your claims of Lady Lysa warning you about the Lannisters in their supposed plot against Jon Arryn and Robert's rule," said Luwin while Ned nodded in agreement.

"Cat, I was talking with Robert down in the crypt with Master Liang. We concluded the death of Lord Arryn was poison. Someone gave it to Jon when he was eating food or was drinking wine. The only person who could have gotten close enough to Jon in order to do that, would be your sister," said Ned while Catelyn looking even more shocked.

"No. I don't believe it. My sister did not murder her husband. The Hand of the King. I will not believe my sister did something so horrifying as to kill the man she married," said Catelyn angrily.

"You presume she wanted to marry him by choice. Lysa didn't want to marry Jon Arryn. At the time of their arranged marriage, Lord Arryn was old enough to be her Father. She has lived a bitter life in a bitter marriage with the only comfort being a child and the form of power that came from being the Lady Wife of the Lord Hand," said Sub-Zero with the Tully woman looking increasingly angry, yet worried at the same time.

"Cat, I don't like hearing this either. But you have to admit, your sister has never been happy with the idea of marrying Lord Arryn. If she is part of the conspiracy, the message you received was clearly designed to instigate something with the Lannisters," said Ned while Catelyn looked conflicted.

"But what if the message is real? What if the Lannisters are somehow connected to the plot to murder Jon Arryn? You cannot deny it is a possibility. And what is worse is the King wants you to be his Hand and go with him to King's Landing. The last two Starks who went that far South...they were burned alive! On the orders of the King!" countered Catelyn with Ned grimacing since it was true.

"That was a different time. A different King. As long as Lord Stark keeps his eyes open and his wits sharp, no harm will come to him," said Maester Luwin with Ned breathing out a sigh of worry.

"Not to mention you have the King on your side. So long as Robert is King of the Seven Kingdoms and sits on the Iron Throne, you have his backing to do whatever is necessary to find out who conspired to kill Lord Arryn," said Sub-Zero with Ned nodding since it was true that Robert had basically told his new Hand to "kill first and ask questions later" to get the job done.

"Jon is coming with me to King's Landing. We will discover the truth in all of this. One way or another," said Ned with Sub-Zero nodding along with Maester Luwin.

Catelyn still seemed conflicted given how her sister was implicated in a conspiracy to murder the previous Hand of the King. But it was also clear that Ned seemed to know more than she did on this matter and would have to withhold doing anything for the time being.

(Winterfell-The Next Day)

Sub-Zero watched Ned and Robert go on a hunting trip through the woods. The King for a Baratheon may have let himself go, but the instinct to kill was still there. It was a shame the man didn't exercise more to lose some of the fat around his torso. If he did, the man might be able to fit into his old armor to be remembered for the fierce warrior over that of a fat drunk.

Sub-Zero still remembered how the old American solider Jackson Briggs had retired from military service after the issue of being made human again from being a Revenant. How the man had left the service and settle down with a wife and child. The man could have turned into an old drunk, who used alcohol to drown the memories of being a Revenant. Instead, he chose the quiet country life of a farmer, worked hard, loved his wife and child without question.

It was a shame Robert didn't have half of the integrity to hold himself together as Jax did after what happened to him.

Off to the side, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster saw Brandon running around with his dire wolf to do who knows what. Probably climbing in Sub-Zero's opinion. The boy just loved to climb and see things from a much higher perspective. While his Mother was within her right to worry about her second to youngest child, they both knew young Brandon was a great climber.

Walking in another direction, the Lin Kuei warrior paid Arya a visit in her room since the girl was packing for King's Landing. Jon was with him to see how things were going and it was clear to them how she hated the idea of packing so many "girl clothes" in a manner her Mother wanted and considered to be "proper".

"I hate this. Mother keeps saying to fold them properly and they are folded properly. How can I get them folded better when its not possible!" exclaimed Arya with a sigh and was now looking defeated.

"The great Arya Stark. Future warrior woman of Winterfell. Defeated by clothing. Not off to a promising start," said Jon with a smirk behind his Lin Kuei mask.

"Shut up! I'll have you know I have had help with this through Nymeria," countered Arya with neither guest in her room looking convinced.

"I'm not seeing it," said Jon while Arya glared.

"Shut it! Nymeria, get the gloves!" commanded Arya while her dire wolf just looked at her before looking away.

"Impressive. It looks like we have a real animal tamer here Grandmaster," joked Jon at the sight of Arya's dire wolf doing nothing.

"Indeed. Maybe I should talk to her Father about letting her becoming a member of the Lin Kuei," added Sub-Zero since it seemed appropriate at the time joke at the girl's own expense.

All Arya could do was glare at them before whispering "traitor" to her dire wolf.

"Mother wants me to be like a lady. I hate being like a lady. I want to be one of those women who know how to fight. But if I do, Sansa will tell on me," said Arya with a huff and crossing her arms.

"Such a shame. And here I thought giving you a special gift to train while over at King's Landing would make things all better," said Jon before he revealed the sword made just for Arya.

"A sword? Just for me?" asked Arya in shock since swords were usually too big to handle and no one wanted to teach her about swords since her Mother practically forbid it.

Lyanna did in secret of course, but Catelyn didn't need to know that.

"I had it made just for you. All the other swords made in Winterfell are for much bigger hands and broader shoulders. I could have asked the blacksmiths on Bear Island to make one for you, but the one we have here would be insulted," said Jon knowing he had to tell (discreetly) the maker of this weapon who this particular weapon was for.

"Does it have a name?" asked Arya knowing all great swords had names.

"No. Not yet. Besides, if anyone should name this sword, it would be you," said Jon with Sub-Zero agreeing.

"The blade is so thin, yet pointy. Almost like it was meant for stabbing over cutting into people. Almost like...a needle. That's what I will call you. Needle!" exclaimed Arya with excitement.

"Interesting choice. Just be sure to hide it from your Mother and your sister. And if you do get caught with it by either mentioned individual, do not implicate my student as the one who commissioned such a weapon," said Sub-Zero since the girl had not only been defying her Mother by bonding with Lyanna, but also seeking him out to tell stories of his past "adventures".

So he told her some stories. Stories of the One Being and the Elder Gods. The creation of the different Realms and Worlds. The story behind the purpose of Mortal Kombat. The tournament itself. How brutal they could be and the cost of losing being extremely high. He told her stories of those who fought in it, the people he fought, and how some of them weren't even human.

Kotal Kahn. Baraka. Quan Chi. Ermac. Scorpion (prior to being restored to life). Reptile.

Naturally, Arya had been enthralled by the stories. She loved to hear the stories about the warrior women from his realm. She was told about the no nonsense woman Sonja Blade, who would sooner knock you on your ass before being polite. The beautiful yet deadly warrior princess Kitana of Edenia before she was killed and soon becoming a Revenant. The loyal bodyguard and equally fierce Edenian warrior Jade before she was also killed during an invasion of Earthrealm.

Some of his stories did frightened her. Namely the one about Shang Sung, who could rip out your very soul to prolong his life. Not only that, but he could change himself into that person, use their very memories to fool his target, and strike like a snake before taking your life. Even worse was the story of the Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, who made it his mission to conquering all of the realms to further increase his power. How he nearly conquered Earthrealm before he was defeated for breaking the rules set forth by the Elder Gods.

Sub-Zero only told her such stories in order to appease the girl's curiosity and to maybe scare Arya enough to not rush into things so recklessly. He tried to instill wisdom and a morals behind each story. It worked for the most part, but the girl kept coming back for more stories.

Arya was so much like Lyanna, it was amazing.

"His secret is safe with me Master Liang," said Arya with a smirk before she tucked it away in her luggage where it wouldn't be seen if opened.

"Keep them safe Jon. Remember what I taught you. Remember what I told you about King's Landing," said Sub-Zero with Jon nodding.

"Don't trust anyone who asks that I trust them," said Jon while remembering how Sub-Zero had instructed him to look for signs of lying, deception, and possible betrayal.

Ned Stark believed in honor as the way to go. To be honest and true. If you did, the Gods rewarded you well for it. If you were cruel and dishonest, the Gods would punish you in ways befitting your crime. In some ways, perhaps the Gods of this realm did do that, but to Sub-Zero, the rewards and punishment of these Gods was far and in-between deeds. People like Tywin Lannister, Petyr Baelish, and others like them were not going to sit around to let the Gods do what they wished. No. Men like Tywin and Baelish did what they pleased and prepared for any fallout that was the result of their actions.

Sub-Zero had already derailed Tywin's attempts to kill Elia Martell and her daughter along with killing Gregor Clegane. Armory Lorch was sadly still alive, but it took him many years and a large sum of gold from House Lannister to get the man up to fighting strength again. From what Sub-Zero's informants told him, the Red Viper planned to have the pig monster killed the moment an opportunity arose in the form of a conflict where the fool would participate.

As for Jon/Aegon, the Grandmaster taught the boy to keep his sword sharp and his mind sharper to a razor's edge. He also told the boy not to put too much faith in honor or those who claimed to have it outside of Ned Stark himself. A man may claim to be honorable, but in the moment of truth, they could reveal themselves to be the most horrible piece of filth the realm had ever produced.

Jon understood this and planned to keep his family in one piece by staying in shadows while House Stark basked in the light.

"Very good. I'll see you off with the others when its time to leave. For now, enjoy your remaining time in Winterfell. You have earned it," said Sub-Zero with Jon nodding as the two of them left Arya's room.

"Thank you Grandmaster," said Jon before leaving to wander around the castle and to no doubt reflect on his situation.

'That boy will go far in life. His potential is incredible. It is a shame so many lies were wrapped around it like chains to keep said potential at bay just to save his life,' thought Sub-Zero with a sigh before walking around the castle with his own mind at work.

Only to find a commotion happening with several servants carrying young Bran Stark into the castle while someone ran off to get Maester Luwin and Catelyn Stark.

"What happened?" asked Sub-Zero to a servant.

"We don't know. The young Lord was found lying on the ground beside his dire wolf in front of the tower he likes to climb. From what I could see, his legs are broken, and is unconscious. Only the Gods know if he will come back to the land of the living," said the servant before rushing off.

Frowning, Sub-Zero went to the spot where Brandon had been found before kneeling to assess the damage. The ground had left an imprint of the boy's body, meaning he didn't just fall back and land on the ground. Not if his legs were broken. Brandon wasn't the kind to have fragile bones and while still on the scrawny side, he was still young.

"Master Liang, I just heard what happened to Brandon," said Jon while Sub-Zero simply nodded, but didn't turn to face him.

"Come here Jon. What do you see?" commanded Sub-Zero with Jon kneeling beside him and examined the imprint of Brandon Stark on the ground.

"Its too deep to be a simple fall onto the ground. Brandon would have to be from a high enough distance to make this kind of mark," said Jon with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Agreed. Meaning he fell from up on high. Right about... _there_!" stated Sub-Zero while he pointed to the window area of the tower where the hole was showing near it.

"But the angle is all wrong. If he fell naturally, Bran's body wouldn't be on his back when it was found. We would have found him on his stomach," said Jon with Sub-Zero giving his student a nod.

"Meaning the boy didn't fall naturally from his climbing. Someone pushed him. Someone tried to kill him and used the fall to cover it up to make it seem like he fell," replied Sub-Zero with a frown on his masked face.

"I should alert the others," said Jon, but was stopped by his teacher.

"No! Not yet. The echo of what happened here is fresh. If we leave now, whoever did this might come back to remove any lingering evidence left behind. With the sudden rush to flee after pushing the boy, I believe something is here," said Sub-Zero before motioning Jon/Aegon to follow him.

"What do you hope to find Grandmaster?" asked Jon curiously while they went up to the top of the tower.

"Anything and everything that will reveal more to this situation," answered Sub-Zero before they entered the room where he was sure the boy saw something.

Slowly examining the very dusty room, it was quite clear to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster that there was more than one person had been in this room. The lack of dust in the center was too big for one person and the fact there was no dust on the floor meant something or maybe even...someone was on it. Walking around the dust clear zone and motioning for Jon to do the same, Sub-Zero walked over to the hole in the wall near the window. He saw dusty footprints on the ground, meaning someone was standing here, inside this part of the tower, and approached a now caught spying boy. The rim of the hole was disturbed in a spot where a child would be sitting or standing, which Sub-Zero concluded that Bran was in fact this very spot when he saw something that certain people didn't want to be seen by a boy or anyone else.

Which left some remaining questions. What did the boy see? Who did he see? And was it so damaging that it required a small boy be silenced for witnessing it?

"Sifu, I found this!" exclaimed Jon before he picked up a long stand of golden hair and showed it to his teacher.

"No one in the North, much less Winterfell has long golden hair. Not even the Lin Kuei have anyone within our ranks with that type of coloring," said Sub-Zero with narrowed eyes.

"The only people who have that kind of golden coloring...are the Lannisters," replied Jon with Sub-Zero nodding.

"And it just so happens, we have several Lannister here," said Sub-Zero while already ruling out Tyrion as a suspect.

For one, his hair was short. Two, Bran was slightly taller. While the boy did need to put on more weight and muscle, it would have taken considerable effort on Tyrion's part to push Bran from his position. Something Sub-Zero knew the Lannister had neither the heart nor the strength to accomplish give the dimensions of the room and Bran himself.

Leaving just two remaining adult Lannisters. Cersei and Jamie. Joffrey could have been a suspect given his own shade of blonde hair, if not for the fact he knew the boy was near Sansa. There was no way the spoiled Prince for a child could have pushed Bran, escaped the tower, and rushed to be near Sansa without someone seeing him.

Plus, the hair here was long. Long as in the Queen's own hair. Meaning she was here and was clearly doing something that was not meant to be seen by a young boy's eyes.

Looking over at the boot print near the hole, the size of it was clearly male, full grown in size, and was with the Queen. Could it be some kind of plot? A conspiracy by the Queen being done in secret under the King's nose? Could Bran overheard it and they silenced him with the fall in the hopes he would never reveal the secret?

Or was it something else?

"Should we bring this to the King? Lord Stark? Or perhaps Lady Stark?" asked Jon since he was in full Lin Kuei mode and could not show signs of personal attachment to House.

"The King is out hunting with Lord Stark and the rest of the Stark family and the Greyjoy ward. Bringing them back now will accomplish nothing. Let the attackers think they have escaped from being punished for their crimes. Remember, the Queen is a suspect in all of this. To move against her now would be tipping our hand too early. We will watch and wait until it is time to make a move with the evidence obtained to present to the King to have this handled accordingly," instructed Sub-Zero before they quietly left the room without tampering with the scene itself.

When the hunting party did return, they were instantly told the news of what happened to Bran with Ned instantly running to his son's bed chambers. Inside, he saw his wife Cat crying heavily at seeing her son on the bed, unconscious, and not moving sans the sign of his chest moving up and down to indicate breathing.

Also near the bed was Maester Luwin, Jon, and Sub-Zero with the rest of the Stark family flooding into the room.

"What happened?" asked Ned while moving over to the bed and placing his hand on the boy's face to ensure he could feel the warmth from his son and to confirm he wasn't dead.

"The servants say he fell climbing the tower. He's alive, but for how long, or if the boy can awaken is up to the Gods. I have done what I can in terms of setting the broken bones in the legs, but it does little to help him due to his spine being broken. He will never walk again," said Maester Luwin sadly while he felt it was an act of cruelty by the Gods to just deny such a child the use of his legs to run, jump, and climb.

"That is not entirely accurate. There maybe a chance he can walk again. The boy's spine could just be feeling pressure from the bruising along his back. I felt some of the tissue there was bruised and swollen. It could be putting pressure along the spine and making it appear it is broken. I might be able to fix the issue," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn glared at him.

"Absolutely not! What you proposed to Maester Luwin is barbaric and cruel. I will not allow it!" exclaimed Catelyn angrily at the Grandmaster.

"What do you propose exactly?" asked Ned since he knew whatever Sub-Zero was now suggesting had his wife on edge for a reason.

"Master Liang is proposing what he calls a 'surgical procedure' my Lord. He believes by cutting young Bran open along the back, he can locate the spot where the swelling of the spine is located before removing it. In theory, such a procedure would allow Bran to walk again. Provided of course the spine is not broken past the swelling," said Maester Luwin while Ned looked from him to Sub-Zero to Bran.

"Are you sure?" asked Ned while Catelyn grabbed his arm.

"Ned don't! He wants to cut open our son! Like he was a roast at a feast. I would rather my son live as a cripple over him being dead. Please Ned, don't agree to this," pleaded Catelyn while Maester Luwin had questioned Sub-Zero about the procedure in the room and what it entailed to the slightest detail.

"It is merely an option I wish to provide Lord Stark. Right now, your son is unconscious for who knows how long. There are elixirs that can numb the entire body with a proper dosage for hours. Your son will feel no pain during this operation. I will perform this myself and stake my reputation if necessary. In addition, I will provide you with a list of people and items I would need for this procedure to work and to be reviewed at your discretion," said Sub-Zero before bowing and left the room.

"Is it possible? Can Bran walk again if the spine is not broken and just swelling from the bruised muscle tissue?" asked Ned to Maester Luwin who reluctantly nodded.

"I asked every question I could think of my Lord. The process seems crude, invasive, and even barbaric if looked at from an uneducated standpoint. But after reviewing the man's ideas and findings on what he is proposing, it does have merit. The theory behind what is being proposed has a strong foundation...if one knows what to do," said Maester Luwin with Ned looking at his son and his scared wife.

Just when things were finally balancing out, this happens!

"I want to see everything he is proposing. What he needs. Who he needs. Everything. I will need your mind to sort through it all to understand," said Ned with Maester Luwin nodding.

"No! Ned please! I beg of you. Don't let him do this to Bran! What if this procedure fails and we lose our son," said Catelyn with the idea of hearing how a blade would be put to her son's flesh to cut him open and have hands reaching into him made the woman nearly run to the chamber pot to vomit.

"I wish to see what he is proposing Cat. Nothing more. If what he is suggesting can be done without too much risk to Bran's life...I will allow it," said Ned with Cat looking away from him and holding her unconscious son's hand tightly.

(Sometime Later)

Ned had been looking over everything Sub-Zero proposed to him under the skillful eyes and mind of Maester Luwin, who had carefully explained what exactly the Grandmaster had suggested for the procedure. Charts, diagrams, and illustrations were all marked in great detail on how the procedure would go regarding the surgery as it was called. Ned did not like the idea at first, which was understandable, as his son would be stripped of all clothing, covered from the waist down in a simple sheet, and have someone cut into him like a pig or boar at a banquet feast.

And all to remove some possible bruised muscle tissue barely the size of a small child's fist that had placed enough pressure on the back to prevent Brandon from walking.

'To think something so small could cause such problems,' thought Ned while he looked over at Sub-Zero, who was standing at attention to see what Lord Stark had decided.

"The procedure should only last several hours Lord Stark. At the very least, I can see if the spine is broken and if it is possible to fix some of the damage. Your son deserves to have a fighting chance at walking again," said Sub-Zero while Ned looked conflicted in having something so invasive done to his son.

"He does. But the risk involves seems...tremendous," said Ned with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I know it can be done. Maester Luwin will be among those observing and studying the procedure while I perform it. If this works out well, it could become a new means of medicine the Maesters at the Citadel could support, and it would help others in the future who suffer from similar problems," explained Sub-Zero with Ned thinking it over in his mind and running his hand over his face.

"This cannot fail. Bran cannot die from this. You must do everything in your power to ensure this procedure does not take his life," said Ned firmly with Sub-Zero nodding.

"For that to happen, I will need the best Winterfell have to offer in various fields. The list of who and what I need is in front of you," said Sub-Zero with Ned looking it over.

"Done. When can you start?" asked Ned in the hopes it would be soon.

"Two days. You will want to get the people and items I need before we proceed. I also need to inform these people what they will be doing. They will be seeing a lot of blood and I don't want them to run out of the room screaming or releasing the contents of their stomach on the floor," said Sub-Zero with the man looking at him for a second before his eyes traveled to the diagram of the human body.

"You drew these yourself. How did you make them so...accurate?" asked Ned at last.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Sub-Zero with Ned shaking his head.

"Something tells me that I am better off not knowing. Just...make sure my son comes out of this alive," said Ned with Sub-Zero.

"If everything goes according to plan, not only will your son live, but he will walk again. Most likely with a limp. He might not be able run or climb. But at least he will enjoy the ability to walk over not walking at all," said Sub-Zero before he bowed and left the room.

And shortly after, Robert entered with Ned rising instantly for the King.

"Ned, by the Gods. Your own son," said Robert before he hugged his Sworn Brother.

"Maester Luwin is confident my son will awaken one day. Whether his mind will be the same is unknown. All I can do is wait," said Ned with Robert looking him right in the eyes now.

"Anything your son needs to recover, just name it Ned. I can have all the best Maesters in the Seven Kingdoms arrive in the North within the Month," said Robert with Ned shaking his head.

"Tempting, but my son is just one person. As much as I wish for him to be healed by so many, I cannot ask that of them or you Robert," said Ned with Robert making a noise.

"You Starks and your honor. Always trying to be selfless," said Robert with a smirk on his bearded face.

"Besides, Master Liang is planning to perform a procedure to fix my son's back to at least give Bran a fighting chance at walking again," said Ned with Robert looking intrigue by that.

"Well, if anyone can pull it off, that man can do it. Seven Hells Ned, if he can pull it off, I'll submit his findings to the Maesters at the Citadel myself, and tell those old fucks to make his procedure worth recognizing," said Robert with Ned smiling at him.

"If he can do it, I'll help," said Ned with both men laughing.

"Its almost time to leave Ned. If I could, I would stay here in Winterfell with you for a few more days. But the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms as whole don't wait for any of us. Not even the King," said Robert with Ned sighing since he was right.

"Or his Hand. I'm ready. If and when Bran awakens, I'm sure my wife will let me know. Whether he can walk upon awakening will be another issue," said Ned with both men walking out of his office.

"He's a Stark and your son Ned. I have no doubt the boy will be walking and climbing every tower in Winterfell in no time," said Robert with Ned smiling sadly.

King's Landing was calling. They could wait no longer.

(A/N: YAY! Another chapter completed. And just after my birthday no less. I hope you all enjoy it. I like to think Sub-Zero was not only a Master Assassin, but also skilled in the ways of healing too before ascending to the rank of Grandmaster. Since Earthrealm is so advanced in the way of surgery, I imagine the realm of the Seven Kingdoms has no such idea or concept of it until after a body is dead. I also like to think Sub-Zero would like to implement some medical changes he feels the Seven Kingdoms needs. Until next time...PEACE!)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Ripples in the Water

Sub-Zero stood over the form of Brandon Stark. Second youngest of all of Ned Stark's children on the table in front of him. The boy was still unconscious. A tube was used earlier to give the boy a sedative that would numb the boy's body to ensure pain would not be an issue for him. The boy was naked with only a simple clothed sheet placed on his lower body and the entire back being exposed to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

"Time to begin. Is everyone ready?" asked Sub-Zero with Maester Luwin across from him nodding.

Both of them were wearing mask over his mouth per the medical procedure written up to keep the risk of infection down.

"Ready when you are Master Liang," said Maester Luwin with everyone in the large room ready to begin the operation.

Several handmaidens, skilled in the art of needle and thread were brought to Sub-Zero to make sure they understood was about to happen. They were all told there would be blood and other things that may make them squeamish. He explained that this procedure would require patience, a strong Will, and an even stronger stomach. The Grandmaster made it clear what they would have to wear to ensure the risk of infection was reduced to zero. It had not been easy to instruct them on this process, given how this realms knowledge on medicine was literally Medieval, but it helped to have Maester Luwin by his side.

"Hand me the scalpel so I can begin," said Sub-Zero with Maester Luwin complied and gave it to him.

"Regardless of this being a success, I would recommend staying away from Lady Stark for quite some time. She was considerably angry with you about this procedure taking place," commented Maester Luwin with Sub-Zero using the tool in question to carefully make the necessary incision around the marked area where the swollen area was located.

"I imagine she was angry. I am putting a small blade to her son's back and about to put my hands within said son's back. She most likely feels I am violating him in some shape or form," said Sub-Zero before he finished his cutting and proceeded to open up the boy's incision further to expose the spine.

"Her eldest son had to hold her back when we were getting things prepared. Even now, I believe Lady Stark is praying to the Gods for Bran's survival," said Maester Luwin Sub-Zero carefully examining the tissue along the spine.

"While Lady Stark's prayers to them is unwarranted, I can respect her desire to see to it that Bran receives all the support he can get," said Sub-Zero before he found the spot where the swelling was located.

"Is that it?" asked Maester Luwin with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes. It is. Look at how bruised and swollen the tissue has become so soon after his fall from the tower. The pressure it has placed into the boy's spine is causing the nerves in it to be cut off from everything below. Once this swelling has been removed, the nerves will be able to connect with the legs," said Sub-Zero while showing Maester Luwin the key points of the swelling and how it was effecting the boy's spinal column.

"Fascinating. It is almost like water in a river being blocked by a boulder and drying up the river in the process," said Maester Luwin with Sub-Zero nodding while he started on the removal of the swelling with his scalpel.

"Indeed. But we also need to hurry. We don't want the boy to lose too much blood from this. The loss of too much blood will kill him," said Sub-Zero while trying to remove the swelling while making sure the boy on the table didn't lose too much blood.

"How much time do we have until his life is threatened?" asked Maester Luwin curiously while watching Sub-Zero perform his work.

"Within several hours, but that is only if we leave him unattended or don't close up the incision when this is over," said Sub-Zero without hesitation in his work.

"Hence the handmaidens here who know how to use a needle and thread," Maester Luwin surmised with Sub-Zero giving a brief nod.

"Once the skin and flesh are in place, they will provide the needle and thread that will bind the flesh together. Given his young age, the boy's skin and flesh will heal soon after being tied together. He will be in pain following the healing process, but it is expected given what we are doing," said Sub-Zero with Maester Luwin making a noise.

"How long will the pain last?" asked Maester Luwin with Sub-Zero making a noise.

"Hard to say. It will hurt for several months. Maybe more. Maybe even a few years. This type of surgery to fix this injury is not something one can recover from with just a snap of the fingers. Brandon will need proper medication, but under strict regulations, and with the proper dosage being used. I leave that part to you, his elder brother, and his Mother to ensure he makes a healthy recovery," said Sub-Zero with Maester Luwin nodding while he kept watch over the Lin Kuei's work.

It would take some time before Sub-Zero finished the surgery. After checking his work, he stated the swelling had been completely removed and the bleeding was contained to prevent additional problems. With his task done, Sub-Zero along with Maester Luwin were able to put everything back in place so the handmaidens watching the proceedings with eyes filled with shock and admiration for the man, quickly moved to use their skills to sew the flesh together. Sub-Zero had instructed them to make sure it was nice and tight while keeping the stitches as small as possible. They were each given plenty of thread to do the work with so they didn't need to fear using it up and worked quickly to tie the little Lord's flesh back together. When they finished, Sub-Zero inspected their work to ensure they did it right, and to ensure the quality of work would last until the flesh itself would heal over the stitching. When they were done, Sub-Zero had another row of servants take the boy to another room to be dressed, and carefully transported to his bedroom. He had specified to Maester Luwin how the boy needed to sleep on his stomach instead of on his back. Sub-Zero knew that if Brandon slept on his back, it would risk the stitching being undone to the point of reopening the area.

"Did it work?" asked Catelyn after the servant told her the operation was done and Bran was in his room.

"It was a success, but he must go through a specific recovery process to ensure his health does not decline or damaged further. The boy will still be in a lot of pain if and when he wakes from his unconsciousness. But it can be manageable and eventually it will go away with time as the body heals," explained Sub-Zero with Catelyn letting out a sigh of relief.

"And will Brandon walk again?" asked Robb curiously with Theon also joining in.

"His spine did suffer some damage from the fall. Minor cracks along the bone. His body could repair it overtime, but the swelling would have prevented the body from doing it due to the pressure caused from the damaged tissue. With proper treatment and regiment I prepared for his recovery, Brandon Stark should be able to walk again. The boy's youth will also speed up his recovery given his age," said Sub-Zero knowing Brandon would have a hard time walking again and have to relearn how to do it from the beginning.

"You have done my family a great service Master Liang. We will not forget such an act of kindness here today," said Robb while looking over at Brandon's sleeping form.

"I will leave his recovery and care in your hands now with Maester Luwin to provide the necessary assistant on what needs to be done," said Sub-Zero before leaving the room.

(King's Road-Sometime Later)

"This is the life Ned. The true land of the Gods. No worries. No Iron Throne. No Seven Kingdoms to keep under control. Just green fields and tall trees as far as the eye can see. I have half a mind to leave it all behind right now," said Robert while they were all sitting down eating a meal with Kingsguard and bannermen around them to provide protection from ambitious bandits.

"I have half a mind to go with you," added Ned with a smile.

"What do you say Ned? Just you and me on The King's Road, swords at our side as we ride on, a couple of tavern wenches to warm our beds every night?" asked Robert before he drank some wine.

"If you asked me 20 years ago and there were no wars to fight, yes I would. But right now? Not a chance," answered Ned with Robert sighing.

"Aye, there were wars to fight, women to marry. We never really had a chance in life to be young with all that we did," said Robert knowing time had flown by so fast for them that it seemed only yesterday they were young men fighting in a war.

"I recall a few chances," remarked Ned while Robert smirked back at him.

"I swear if I wasn't the King, you would have hit me by now," commented Robert with Ned smiling.

"That was the worst thing about your coronation. Now I'll never be able to hit you again when it is deserved," said Ned before laughing and noticed Robert wasn't laughing with him.

"Trust me Ned, that's not the worst thing," said Robert before handing Ned a rolled up parchment.

"When did this arrive for you?" asked Ned curiously before reading it contents.

"There was a rider in the night. I didn't read it until this morning. Now I wish I hadn't read it at all," commented Robert bitterly.

"Daenerys Targaryen married a Dothraki Horse Lord. What of it? Should we send her a wedding gift?" asked Ned with Robert grunting angrily.

Behind Ned, one Jon Stark stood quietly and watched the conversation with great interest since the Grandmaster would want a report of this later.

"Aye, a knife perhaps. A good sharp one, and a bold man to wield it into her back!" said Robert angrily.

"She's a little more then a child Robert," protested Ned with Robert snarling slightly.

"Maybe now she is, but soon enough that _child_ will become a woman, and will soon start spreading her legs for that Dothraki Horse Lord to start breeding Heirs. Heirs that could contest my rule just like the Targaryen girl you had me spare all those years ago in order to appease the Dornish," said Robert with Ned glaring back him.

"It was because of that act of mercy House Martell was quickly brought into the fold _and_ allowed me to find Lyanna sooner. If we had done things your way or Tywin Lannister's way, Dorne would be a future enemy to your rule and Lyanna may have died," said Ned with Robert wincing at the last part since it was all true.

"I know Ned. But after what Rheagar did to your sister. What the Mad King did your family. How can you not hate them? How can you not hear the word Targaryen and not curse their name or House?" asked Robert with Ned looking down.

"Because I choose not to hate them Robert. I have seen what that hate does to people who don't let it go. So I chose to let my hatred die with the Mad King. I chose to let my hatred die with Rheagar when he was killed at the Trident by your hands. You got your revenge Robert. Rheagar's daughter from Elia Martell has sworn off any claim to the Iron Throne and has chosen to be a Princess of Dorne. Let the hatred finally die with them," said Ned with Robert looking away.

"My hatred will die when every last Targaryen dies before my time in this world ends," said Robert at last with Ned wincing since he knew there were at least several people in the world with Targaryen blood in their veins.

One standing almost within arms reach of Robert right now.

"But you can't get your hands on this one...can you?" asked Ned cautiously, yet curiously to gauge Robert's response.

"No. Not with this Khal Drogo she married. It is said he has 100,000 men in hoard. And it growing," warned Robert while Ned looked pensive, but calm.

"The Dothraki fear any water their horses cannot drink Robert. They have no ships. Even a million of them are not a threat so long as the Narrow Sea lies between us," offered Ned with Robert shrugging off his advice.

"There are still those in the Seven Kingdoms who still call me 'Usurper'. If and when the Targaryen boy crosses the Narrow Sea with the Dorthraki Horde at his back, the scum will join him. Maybe they already have and I don't know it. I could ask Varys, but I don't trust the Eunuch enough to be honest. I could ask the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei to spy or end those who would, but there is too much bad blood between us. I would expect him to hire one of his best, if not himself, to end me for the way I have been insulting him and the Lin Kuei these past 20 years. Gods, how the Hell does that man have the patience to tolerate me without running a blade through my belly or skull?" commented Robert to himself in the end.

"The man has patience Robert. I imagine years of being a Lin Kuei forged it into him to ensure he rarely makes a mistake," said Ned with Robert grunting.

"I might need him Ned. Him, his clan, the North, and everyone else I can muster to fight the war that is coming. I don't know when it will happen, but it will. I can feel it. By the Gods I can feel it," said Robert angrily and hating the idea of being powerless to stop the storm he knew deep in bones was coming.

All the while, Ned stayed silent while Jon silently left the two men to go elsewhere after hearing enough.

(Winterfell-Sometime in the Night)

Catelyn Tully Stark was sitting by her son's bed. Weaving a prayer charm to speed up the boy's recovery and provide some measure of divine protection. She did not like how her husband had agreed to the procedure to have the Lin Kuei Grandmaster cut into her son like he was a pig or boar for a feast. She had nearly stormed the room where the surgery was being done if not for Robb and Lyanna. Robb had trusted his Father's decision to have this surgery done and Lyanna trusted the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to ensure it was a success without risking Brandon's life.

When it was over, she asked Maester Luwin every question her mind could think of about what was done to her son. Did Brandon awaken? Cry out in pain? Did the body react to the blade that dug into his flesh? Would there be any long lasting pain? Maester Luwin was patient with her, as always, and had provided answers to calm the poor woman's mind.

"You should get some sleep Mother," said Robb after coming into the room and saw her staring at Bran to await his return to the land of the living.

"No. I will stay awake until my son awakens. I want the first thing he sees when opening his eyes are my own," said Catelyn with the woman looking at her son and wishing the boy would awaken now.

"He will Mother. But I think Bran would prefer to see you when fully alert. Your lack of sleep is not healthy," said Robb with Catelyn smiling sadly since she knew he was right.

"Fire! Fire in the stables!" called someone outside with the castle soon going on full alert.

"Stay with Brandon. Lock the door!" ordered Robb since he wasn't about to take chances with his brother's life.

With the sudden action outside, it had awakened Catelyn by giving a sudden adrenaline boost to her mind. Standing up, but moving away from the door, she watched from the sidelines to see if someone would enter the room unlawfully.

And sure enough. Someone did.

A sound of struggle was heard outside the door. Silent for the most part, but there was one. The sound of a lock being picked until it was unlocked. The door slowly opening and a hooded man walked in with a very shiny and fancy looking dagger in hand. The man was smiling an evil smile. His eyes filled with greed of being paid to kill the son of a High Lord and Warden no less.

"Such a helpless little thing. All alone. No one to protect you now little boy," commented the man with the dagger ready to thrust into the bed to end Brandon's life.

"No!" exclaimed Catelyn from the shadows as she tackled the man to stop the attack.

"Bitch! You were not suppose to be here. No matter. I will kill you and your son. I might even get a bonus from my employer. Its not everyday I get to successfully kill the wife of a High Lord, much less the wife of the Warden himself. My only regret is having the time to fuck you before I end your son's life," said the assassin while his foul breath made the Tully woman want to vomit.

"I will not let you kill my son. Even if it means my life is forfeit," said Catelyn before she bit the man's hand.

"Bitch!" exclaimed the assassin before he turned her around, the dagger digging into the woman's hand, and he backhanded Catelyn Stark in anger with the blow causing the red haired woman to fall to the ground.

And no sooner had that happened did it suddenly get extremely cold in the room.

"To kill a child and to enjoy it in the process. You will not die fast," said Sub-Zero in a cold icy tone.

"Who the fuck are you?" asked the assassin while turning fully to face the Lin Kuei.

"You don't need to know my name. Only that I bring your death!" stated Sub-Zero before he formed a ball of ice in his hand and crushed it.

"I know of you. Some big shot assassin. Said to have power to make and shoot ice. To freeze people with a single touch," said the assassin fearfully.

"I am him. And as I said...I am your death," said Sub-Zero coldly.

"Don't come any closer or I'll throw this at the boy's head and pierce his skull," said the assassin fearfully.

"Then not only are you a heartless assassin, you are fool as well," said Sub-Zero while he watched the man trying to think of a way out of this situation.

"And why is that you fucking ice cunt?" asked the assassin.

"Because the moment you kill the boy, I will have _all_ the time needed to kill you. I will not be quick. Your death will be slow, painful, and your screams will echo throughout the North. I will let every House in the North know what you did. Men will march from all over to run a blade through your belly to avenge that boy lying there. They will see you suffer for your crimes and I will ensure every single one of them has the chance to slowly carve a piece of your flesh off before the end," said Sub-Zero coldly with the temperature in the room going down.

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't dare risk the boy's life just to get to me!" protested the assassin while moving closer to the bed for good measure.

"Kill him. And find out just how far I'm willing to go to make you pay for your crimes," challenged Sub-Zero while the assassin was starting to get fearful since he saw the power behind the eyes of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

And yet...

"Fuck you and your threats! Die boy!" exclaimed the assassin before turning to look at Brandon and throw the dagger.

Only for the dire wolf under the bed to bite the man's ankle, causing the dagger to fall from his hand. And in that moment, Sub-Zero was behind him, an arm wrapped around his neck in a choke hold. The man struggled at first, but the pain from the dire wolf, and the sudden loss of oxygen made quick work of the assassin's resistance. Nearby, Catelyn had moved to secure the dagger before Brandon's dire wolf let go of the ankle it had been biting.

By that point, Robb Stark had rushed right into the room with several bannermen, swords drawn and ready for a fight.

"It would seem someone wants the boy to die," said Sub-Zero before throwing the now unconscious man onto the ground at Robb's feet.

"Take him to the dungeons. We will make him talk," commanded Robb while glaring at the unconscious man.

"Make sure no one knows he is alive. If anyone asks, tell them the assassin is dead," said Sub-Zero with Robb frowning, but gave the order to the men carrying the assassin away.

"Why would you want everyone to believe the assassin is dead?" asked Catelyn curiously while her hand was being bandaged by Hodor, who came into the room with Robb.

"Because I want the employer of the assassin to think he is dead and the act cannot be traced back to whoever hired him," said Sub-Zero with Robb and Catelyn understanding.

"So as to prevent another from coming here, only to silence him over Bran," said Robb with the Grandmaster nodding.

"You're learning," said Sub-Zero while looking over at Catelyn, who was examining the dagger in her hands.

"This dagger is no ordinary dagger," commented Catelyn before Sub-Zero gently took it from her and examined it.

"Valerian steel with a dragon bone hilt. An expensive item. I imagine it is one of kind if asked by any of the most respected blacksmiths through all the Seven Kingdoms. There are few who could afford it. And fewer who would buy it," commented Sub-Zero with Catelyn looking at the blade that the assassin tried to use to murder her son.

"Like a Lannister," commented Catelyn with Sub-Zero shook his head.

"While a Lannister _could_ afford and _could_ have bought this, I doubt they would ever give this to an assassin to use on a boy. This is meant to be seen by others, but not used," said Sub-Zero calmly before putting it back in the sheathe.

"And yet it was used," countered Catelyn with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Yes. But was it used by a Lannister? That is an unknown factor. We don't know who hired the assassin or who is in fact the dagger's owner," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn not backing down.

"The Lannisters are the only ones who could have sent the assassin. They are conspiring against the crown and want to make sure that Brandon dies to send us a message to keep our mouth shut!" exclaimed Catelyn while Sub-Zero shakes his head.

"Speculation. Besides, I know Brandon's assassination attempt has nothing to do with any conspiracy against the Crown," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn and Robb frowning.

"How? How do you know this?" asked Robb curiously.

"I will let you know tomorrow morning. Too many eyes are open right now. Too many ears listening. What must be spoken requires fewer eyes and ears," said Sub-Zero calmly before he walked out of the room with the dagger.

(Godswood-Sometime Later)

Sure enough, a secret meeting did take place with Sub-Zero now standing beside Catelyn Stark in order to address the crisis. Around them were Robb, Theon, Maester Luwin, and Ser Rodrik while waiting to hear what was going on.

"As you know, an attempt on Brandon Stark's life occurred last night. It was a failure and the assassin was caught before being taken to the dungeons for further questioning. Lady Stark believes this was a result of the Lannisters conspiring against the Crown and wish for the North to keep silent. I however, know better," said Sub-Zero calmly while he was addressing the men and woman in front of him.

"In what way Master Liang?" asked Rodrik curiously.

"After Brandon Stark fell, I went to investigate the area with Jon. Further investigation revealed Bran did not fall on his own. He was pushed from his spot high on top of the tower. From what I have gathered, the boy saw something he was not meant to see, and based on the evidence obtained...it involved the Lannisters," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn looking at him in confusion.

"Are you saying House Lannister tried to kill Bran for something, but not for conspiring against the Crown?" asked Catelyn with the Grandmaster nodding.

"Correct. When Jon and I examined the room, we noticed it was disturbed. It was a dusty area from lack of use so anything done in the room recently was noticeable. We saw the spot where Bran would have been located and saw it was disturbed. Meaning the boy was either sitting or standing there before being pushed. As to who pushed him, I do not know since there is no evidence, but I _do know_ , is that one person in the room...was the Queen herself. She left a strand of golden hair behind," said Sub-Zero with the group looking at him in shock.

"So Bran saw two people, one being the Queen herself, on the top of the tower. He must have overheard or seen something that they didn't want him to hear or see," concluded Robb since it was the only explanation.

"And fearing the boy awakening, they felt killing young Lord would ensure no one knew what happened," said Ser Rodrik with Robb getting angry.

"They come into our home, eat our food, drink our wine, call us friends, and try to have my little brother killed. If its a war they want...," said Robb with bloodlust forming in his eyes.

"If it is war, I'm with you all the way," said Theon eagerly knowing this would help show how strong he was in front of everyone.

"Are we going to have a war in the Godswoods now? Men talking of war and entering it are two different things," advised Maester Luwin sagely.

"Maester Luwin is right. At the moment, few know the assassin is alive. Let the one who hired the man think such an act cannot be tracked back to him. Your enemies will let their guard down. They will enter a sense of security in the belief that the actions taken against you and your House cannot be follow back to them. We will let them believe that is the truth until the time is right," said Sub-Zero with Robb nodding since the man in front of them was a Master strategist.

"We need to get word to my husband. It is important he knows what happened here," said Catelyn firmly since the sooner Ned knew, the better.

"We need to send a raven to him and fast before its too late," said Theon since a rave would be the fastest means of communicating with Lord Stark.

"I don't trust a raven with these words. There is always a chance it will be intercepted by the Lannisters or their supporters. This message must be delivered in person to him," said Catelyn knowing a raven with this message could be taken and used against House Stark.

"I'll go to King's Landing," offered Robb.

"No! There must always be a Stark at Winterfell. I will go," said Catelyn since she wasn't about to risk her eldest son to the South.

"The road is treacherous. I will go with you," said Rodrik with Catelyn shaking her head.

"No. I can go alone. The fewer people with me, the better," said Catelyn with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"Ser Rodrik is right. Even if you were to go on one of the less used roads, your life would still be put in peril from bandits or other people who would prey upon a single person. I believe Ser Rodrik and myself should go with you," said Sub-Zero with everyone looking at him in shock.

"You? Are you sure that is wise Master Liang?" asked Robb curiously.

"Lady Stark requires an escort to King's Landing. Who better to escort her?" asked Sub-Zero knowing he could head to King's Landing under the impression of being hired by the wife of the Lord Stark.

(Crossroads Inn-Sometime Later)

The King's entourage stopped by the nearby Inn before heading to King's Landing. It was a major spot for travelers and the food or lodgings were acceptable. The King wanted to delay his time heading back to King's Landing as much as possible. Stopping at every possible stop, Inn, and location heading back to the Capital with the Crossroads Inn being the last of them.

Which is why Robert wanted to make this count as much as possible.

At the moment, Arya was having fun with the butcher's boy Mycah with both pretending to be knights fighting it out in battle using wooden swords. They were talking, laughing, pretending to be in a battle of ancient times, and enjoying themselves in the process.

At least until Joffrey came along with Sansa by his side.

"What is going on here?" asked Joffrey in his usual arrogant tone.

"We were playing a game your Grace," answered Mycah humbly while Joffrey smirked.

"Playing a game? What game exactly?" asked Joffrey curiously with a hint of malice in his eyes.

"We were pretending to be knights your Grace. We were pretending to be the legendary knights fighting for the glory and honor of our respected Houses," answered Mycah again with Joffrey's smirk increasing.

"So you want to play being a knight, do you? Well, if you want to play, it should be done with a real sword. Like mine for example," said Joffrey before he brought out his own blade and making the butcher's boy nervous.

"Leave him alone!" exclaimed Arya angrily while Joffrey glared at her before he turned his attention back to the butcher's boy.

"Shut up girl. This fool wants to be a knight. Well knights have scars. I think I will give him a few. Starting with his face," said Joffrey before cutting into the terrified boy's face and the boy himself trying not to scream out in pain.

"I said stop it!" commanded Arya before she hit Joffrey's sword arm and knocked the boy's sword out of his hand before hitting his back several times.

"Arya stop it!" exclaimed Sansa while holding her sister back.

"You wretched girl. I will teach you to strike me!" exclaimed Joffrey before grabbing his sword to swing at Arya.

Only for Arya's dire wolf to leap at Joffrey and bite his arm with the boy screaming out in pain.

"Nymeria come on!" ordered Arya before she ran and her dire wolf following.

Mycah had also fled in fear with Sansa trying to comfort Joffrey, but the boy had shoved her aside, picked up his sword, and ran to find his Mother.

All the while, Jon/Aegon watched them from the shadows within the trees hiding his very presence. His first instinct was to find Arya, but his training and instincts as a Lin Kuei told him to find the butcher's boy. Jon knew the Prince would tell his Mother, who would raise a fuss with her husband, and it would come down to he said she said with the Butcher's boy being the only real witness.

A witness Joffrey would never allow to live to tell what happened today.

(Later that Night)

"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Ned after he was brought before the King with his two daughters standing beside him.

"You should show respect to your King," commented Cersei with Robert giving her a glare.

"Enough! I'm sorry about this Ned, but we need to get this cleared up now before it goes any further," said Robert since his wife wouldn't shut up about it.

"Your daughter attacked my precious son and ordered her dire wolf to bite Joffrey's arm off. I demand justice for this insult," accused Cersei while glaring at Ned and Arya.

"That's not true! He attacked Mycah with his sword and I defended my friend. Nymeria only intervened when Joffrey picked up his sword to attack both of us!" exclaimed Arya angrily at the sniveling Prince hiding behind his Mother's skirt.

"Liar! She's a liar and I want her punished! I want them all punished!" exclaimed Joffrey while crying and looking at his Mother for comfort.

"The girl is lying Robert. She has the audacity to lie to you in front of he own Father. So much for Starks and there sense of honor," said Cersei while Robert glared at her even harder and at Joffrey too before focusing on Ned's family.

"Arya is not lying. Joffrey is the liar," said Jon after appearing from the shadows to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"Seven Hells boy, you move silent as a shadow. Your Grandmaster taught you well," said Robert with Jon nodding.

"How dare you accuse my son of being a liar. In front of the King no less. The man who made you a Stark. You are not worthy of your newly attained status as a son of a Lord," stated Cersei while Jon was unaffected by her words.

"Do you think I would lie to the King? After he legitimized me not that long ago? Only a fool would lie to the King following such a thing. Besides, I do have the proof. Right here in the form of a witness," said Jon before moving to the side to reveal Mycah to them and noticed Joffrey's face go pale.

"It is Mycah!" exclaimed Arya with a smile.

"This is the boy who was with her?" asked Robert while Jon nodded and nudged Mycah forward.

"Yes your Grace. In fact, I rescued the poor boy from being attacked and possibly killed brutally...by the Hound," said Jon while having come across the boy just in time to stop the giant man from killing Mycah.

The Hound was a big strong guy, but Jon had speed, intense physical training, and skill from his time under the tutelage of Sub-Zero on his side. The burned Clegane found himself being badly beaten by a boy half his size into a tree and disarmed of his sword. A sword that Jon picked up and pointed at the Hound's throat with even pressure to cut skin with Ghost growling and snarling inches away from the man's face.

 _"Try something like that again and I'll kill you in a similar manner my teacher did to your brother all those years ago in the Red Keep."_

It was any wonder the Hound had not returned yet to the camp or seen by anyone for the entire day. Joffrey had simply assumed Sandor had done his job in finding and killing the Butcher's boy before going off to get drunk and fuck a whore.

"Is this true lad? Speak!" commanded Robert with Mycah nodding quickly.

"Yes your Grace. I was being attacked by a large man with a dog helmet on his head. He was laughing and swinging his sword on his horse when chasing me. I was saved at the last moment by him," said Mycah before pointing at Jon during the end of answer.

"And what happened when you were spending time with Lord Stark's daughter? And you better speak the truth boy. It is a crime to lie to your King," stated Robert while Joffrey and Cersei glared hatefully at Mycah with a "tell him the truth and you will die!" look on their angry faces.

Only for Jon to put a supporting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Arya and I were playing. Pretending to be knights. We were using wooden swords. Soon after, Prince Joffrey came over asking about what we were doing. I told him. He pulled out his sword and cut my cheek saying a knight should have scars and was going to give me one. Starting with my face," said Mycah while showing the cut on his face to the King that was still slowly healing.

"It is a lie Robert. Clearly he had the former bastard cut his face and made up this story to insult my son," said Cersei while Joffrey sneered.

"I did no such thing to the boy. In fact, if you need further proof your Grace, you can just examine Joffrey's sword. You should find it still has traces of poor Mycah's blood on it," said Jon while Joffrey paled further since he had not bothered to clean his sword after running to his Mother.

"Give me your sword boy," commanded Robert with Joffrey looking scared since he had forgotten to clean his weapon off.

"Robert, surely you don't believe _him_. He is a former bastard!" stated Cersei while Robert glared at her now.

"Hold your tongue woman. I am the King and I say the boy will give me his sword," said Robert while glaring at Joffrey with a "comply with my command or get the back of my fist to your face" look that brokered no argument.

"I'm sure whatever supposed crimes Joffrey committed was a complete misunderstanding Robert. There is no need to ask for such things," replied Cersei while Robert looked from the boy to her.

"Misunderstanding woman? Bah! That just another way to explain how Joffrey was lying about what happened earlier today. He lost to a girl younger than him. He tried to hurt my friend's daughter after being beaten with a wood sword and was bested by a dire wolf pup afterwards. Do you really understand what this means? Your son, my son, lied to me! To me! His Father! His King! I ought to just smack him in the face right now and order this poor excuse for a boy I call a son be flogged twenty times for this embarrassment," said Robert with Cersei gasping and shielding her son.

"No!" exclaimed Cersei while Robert's glare increased before it lessened and looked away with a tired look on his face.

"You are fortunate I'm in a merciful mood tonight boy. If you pull this shit again, I will send you to the Wall myself. Your Grandfather's influence be damned!" stated Robert to a now terrified Joffrey.

"Yes Father," said Joffrey in a weak voice.

"And what of the girl's dire wolf? It is a threat so long as it is alive. Such a wild beast has no place in King's Landing. It should be killed. All of the dire wolves should be killed to be safe," said Cersei while Joffrey smiled at the idea of getting _some_ kind of victory out of this.

"My wife has a point Ned. Even if I don't want to hear it. Dire wolves are the sigil of your House, but they aren't pets," said Robert with Ned frowning at the now smirking Cersei.

"No! I won't let anyone here hurt Nymeria!" protested Arya, but a firm hand from Ned silenced her protests.

"Perhaps, we can compromise your Grace," said Jon while Robert looked at him.

"And what does the student of the Grandmaster propose?" asked Robert curiously at the boy he recently legitimized.

"Send the dire wolves back to the North. Have some Stark bannermen return to the North with them and they can stay in Winterfell with the rest of the family. Let them become the responsibility of Robb and the others back home," offered Jon with Robert thinking it over.

"They are dire wolves. Beasts that cannot truly be tamed. They should all be put to the sword!" demanded Cersei while she glared at Jon for deny her some measure of revenge.

"Enough! Ned, I cannot in good conscious let the remaining dire wolves come with us to King's Landing. Have some of your men return to Winterfell with them and explain what happened," said Robert with Ned nodding.

"I will have some men carry out the order in the morning," said Ned while giving Arya a "do not push it" look and did the same to Sansa before they left.

"And as for _you_ , I have a fitting punishment befitting your crime of lying to me," said Robert while turning his attention to Joffrey.

"Robert please, you are scaring him," said Cersei with worry while Robert glared even harder.

"As he should be woman! He lied to me! Lied about his injuries! Lied about how they were caused! He lied and wanted me to punish the daughters of my Hand! If it was the other way around, you would be throwing a fit the size of the Western Gold Mines your Father owns," said Robert with Cersei looking irate despite the fact it was true.

"He is only a boy. Punishing him will achieve nothing," said Cersei while trying to be a loving and protecting Mother to Joffrey.

"Punishments are designed to ensure stupid boys don't do stupid things again! Like lying to their Father and King! And speaking of the punishment, Joffrey will spend tomorrow morning, when the Sun rises, training with Jon here on how to fight. They will spend the entire morning training. _Nonstop_ ," said Robert with Cersei looking uncomfortable and Joffrey looked uneasy since the idea of doing any exercise made him feel...filthy.

"All morning?! But...But...," said Joffrey with Robert glaring at him.

"No complaints from you boy. I did those kind of exercises under the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei so you can too. You will do this or we head right back to the North where I will personally oversee you becoming a member of the Night's Watch and taking your vows. Afterward, you become their problem. Not mine," threatened Robert with Joffrey looking at his Mother for help.

"It is all right my sweet. Jon Stark won't push you too hard," said Cersei while glancing at Jon with a "go easy on him or else!" look in her eyes.

"The Grandmaster never pulled any of his punches with me or anyone else he taught how to fight. Not even Prince Rheagar. I have no intention of changing that for anyone," said Jon with Robert grunting in approval.

"Good lad. Say what you will about the Lin Kuei, they know how to train their members on how to fight. The decision is final. Now everyone out! It is time we all went to bed," said Robert with everyone bowing and leaving the tent.

(Cersei's Room-Sometime Later)

"How could you let him get away with this?! You had one job to do Clegane. Kill the Butcher's boy to ensure no one could challenge Joffrey's words against the Stark bitch," stated Cersei while the Hound stood there trying to keep his cool while the Queen was chewing him out.

"Aye, I did seek to carry out the order my Queen. But the young Stark boy appeared out of nowhere like a shadow or ghost. He stopped me and struck with all his moves that did not stop upon impact with my armor. Before I knew it, my back hit a tree, my own sword was at my throat, and the white dire wolf with him was near my face ready to tear it off," explained Sandor Clegane knowing he had been spared on a whim by the Stark lad.

Cersei glared harder, but couldn't deny his claim. The Hounds armor was some of the finest in all of the Seven Kingdoms. Purchased by her Father to further protect his own investment and to further mark ownership of House Clegane through House Lannister. Now it was dented and dirtied to the point where a blacksmith from the Street of Steel would have to try fixing it. She also knew that Sandor Clegane would not fall so easily given his size, strength, and brutality when wielding a sword. Perhaps not as good as his late older brother, but still a useful pawn to throw against her enemies or the enemies of her son made.

But for Jon Stark to best Sandor Clegane in a single fight proved the Lin Kuei was not to be underestimated. Even Tywin himself had respect for the clan and what they did from the shadows when hired to do a job.

"Nevertheless, you will keep yourself at arms length from the Starks at all times. I don't need my idiot for a husband ordering you away should you need to protect my son from harm," said Cersei with Sandor nodding.

(The Next Day)

Sure enough, the trip back to King's Landing was delayed thanks to Robert ensuring that his son's punishment lasted the entire morning. When the Sun rose, Jon had gone to the Prince's tent, but the Lannister guards refused him entry, even after the King's had given the order the previous night. Jon wasn't surprised by this given these were Lannister men and thus would only follow a Lannister in the form of the Queen, her brother Jamie, their Father Tywin Lannister, or Prince Joffrey given how much he favored their golden haired appearance.

It wasn't until the threat of informing the King on how they were preventing Joffrey from being punished did the guards relent. While they were loyal to House Lannister, the King could charge them with treason before ordering them killed. So they let him through to wake the Prince up and sure enough Jon did by dunking some nearby pitcher of water on the boy's head.

Naturally, the boy shrieked before protesting the act being done to him. Going on about how he was a Prince of the Seven Kingdoms and would not be treated in such a manner. Jon countered that _King Robert_ , the boy's _Father_ no less, ordered this to happen and if the Prince had an issue with it, could take it up with him.

It shut the boy up quickly.

So Jon put the spoiled Prince through his paces. Exercise upon exercise was done under Jon's watchful eyes. When the Prince complained about the training being too rough, he was struck with a wooden stick to the back. When he cried? A strike with a wooden stick. When he threatened to run to his Mother? He was struck several times along the back and told his Mother couldn't save him from the King's punishment.

It also didn't help that Cersei had watched this with anger and resentment burning in her eyes over the issue. Powerless to stop Robert's command from being carried and seeing Jamie grimace from time to time when Joffrey was wacked hard in the back by Jon.

"How can you let him do this? Stand in his way! Do something!" pleaded Cersei while her son complained again about being tired.

And got a strike to his back with a wooden stick for his troubles.

"And do what exactly? The King gave a command. I cannot override it. Joffrey isn't King yet," said Jamie while wincing in memory of how Sub-Zero disciplined his students all those years ago.

Jamie still had phantom pains from those days when he gave off a cheeky wit lace remark to the Grandmaster.

"The moment our son sits on the Iron Throne, I want this former bastard brought before him to pay for this outrage," said Cersei with Jamie nodding.

"I will bring him before Joffrey to face the 'King's justice' personally," replied Jamie with Cersei continuing to burn holes in the back of Jon's head.

"I want his death to be slow. Painful. And I want Ned Stark to watch. Just like the Mad King did with the man's Father and older brother," replied Cersei while Jamie was a tad shocked by her tone and level of cruelty.

By the time the morning finally ended, Joffrey was sore, tired, and bruised all over from the punishment Robert had ordered on his own son. Eventually, the group left Crossroads Inn. to arrive in King's Landing while a small group of Stark bannermen were sent back North with Nymeria, Lady, and Ghost since all three would most likely not welcome the sight or stench of King's Landing.

"Lord Stark, welcome to King's Landing. Grand Maester Pycelle has called a meeting of the Small Council. Perhaps you would like to freshen up before attending?" said a servant who was expecting their arrival.

Ned just looked at him like he was an idiot before said idiot walked away.

"Ignoring the idiot, shall we my Lord Hand?" asked Jon in a professional tone.

"Aye. Get the girls settled and our things unpacked. I will arrive shortly," said Ned before he went to throne room where the man paused and imagine what it was like for his Father and older brother when they were in this room.

To be burned alive. To scream in pain. To die while the Mad King laughed and everyone did nothing to stop it. By the Gods how he hated this place. Yet here he was, in the very room where it happened, and for a moment...Ned thought the smell of smoke from the fire that day moved through the air.

And sitting near the Iron Throne, on the steps leading up to it...was Jamie Lannister. All dressed in his Kingsguard armor and cloak.

"Thank the Gods you are here Stark. It is about time we had stern Northern leadership among our ranks," commented Jamie before standing and walking toward Ned.

"Glad to see you are guarding the throne," replied Ned with Jamie looking back at the dark symbol of power.

"Sturdy old thing. How many Kings' asses have polished it I wonder? And what is the line...the King shits and the Hand wipes?" asked Jamie though it was clear he already knew the answer.

"Very handsome armor. Not a scratch on it," commented Ned knowing his own armor had seen its fair share of battles and handled by blacksmiths for upkeep.

"I know, people have been swinging at me for years, but they always seem to miss," said Jamie with a hint of arrogance in his tone.

"You have chosen your opponents well," replied Ned to insult Jamie's skill in the belief the man fought weaker opponents over those equal or greater in skill.

Ned had scars on his very flesh to show he fought some of the best fighters in Westeros and came out of it alive. To him, anyone can fight a weaker opponent and come out of it unscathed. Its the ones where you fight the stronger ones, have the scars to prove it, and come out of the battle alive that show proof of one's own skill.

The two men traded words regarding Ned's family and how Jamie stabbed the Mad King in the back with neither man liking the other. You wouldn't think they had spent a period of time training under the same teacher. When words and insults were finished between the two men, Ned walked past Jamie to the Small Council room with Jon right beside him. It took considerable effort and patience on Jon's part in keeping his desire to run a concealed blade into Jamie's skull in check. As much as he was sure King Robert would pardon him for it, the young man knew making an enemy of the Lannisters not a wise move.

Not to mention the Grandmaster would frown upon his sudden impulse without thinking about the consequences of his actions.

"Lord Stark, how good of you to come," said Varys while shaking the man's hands.

"Lord Varys," said Ned Stark politely while receiving him before the Spider saw Jon.

"And this must be the newest member of the Stark family. Jon Stark himself. You have risen farther than most former bastards would in your position my boy. As someone else, who came from nothing in his youth, I know what it feels like to finally achieve a status that others would be jealous or resentful of me possessing. A word of advice from one born low to the next, never forget your roots, or your former status from the moment of your birth. It keeps men like us humble and reminds us to _never_ be arrogant or believe that we are untouchable," said Varys while Jon nodded and noticed Ned was a bit more uncomfortable regarding the two being so close.

"The Grandmaster said the same thing when I was growing up under his care," said Jon with Varys nodding since he knew the Grandmaster would impart some wise words of wisdom on the boy.

"A wise man to be sure. As to what we have all heard regarding what happened with that nasty business that happened on the King's Road, I speak for all of us when I say we are praying for Prince Joffrey's speedy recovery," said Varys while Ned nodded, but had to fight back the smirk he wanted to let out.

"He'll need it after the punishment King Robert put him through for lying to him," said Ned before he went to the next man in line, which was Robert's youngest brother Renly.

"How are you Ned. You look tired from the ride. I told them that this could wait another day, but...," said Renly with a sigh.

"But _WE_ have Seven Kingdoms to run. I have wanted to meet you for some time Lord Stark. No doubt Catelyn has mentioned me," interrupted Lord Baelish before taking his seat.

"She has Lord Baelish. I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well," said Ned while having to hold back his rage at the man who murdered his Foster Father.

But if there was one thing Sub-Zero had taught him during his training, it was patience.

"All too well. I still carry a token of his esteem. From navel to collar bone," said Baelish while motioning his hand where the injury was located on his body despite it not being seen due to his clothing.

"I beg your pardon Lord Stark," said Grand Maester Pycelle in a tired elderly voice.

"Grand Maester Pycelle," commented Ned with the old man looking up at him.

Yet another man to investigate from what the Lin Kuei Grandmaster revealed to him and Robert. If Jon Arryn was poisoned, which seemed to be the case, the Grand Maester in front of him could have treated it before things went too far.

"Lord Stark. How many years has it been? You were a young man," commented Pycelle with Ned nodding.

"And you served another King," said Ned while Pycelle looked at him with a gauging expression.

"Oh yes. How foolish of me. My mind must have slip. I believe this belongs to you now Lord Stark. Thus, we can begin," commented Pycelle before handing over the badge that would symbolize the man as Hand of the King, which Ned put on.

"Without the King?" asked Ned curiously and a tad surprise.

"Winter maybe coming, but my brother isn't," said Renly while feeling frustrated with his older brother.

"His Grace has many matters that require his attention. We handle all of the small ones to lighten the load," said Varys while Ned was shocked Robert would be so neglectful in his duties to the Crown.

"We are all Lords of small matters here," commented Baelish while opening up his ledger to proceed.

"My brother has ordered a tournament is to be held in honor of Lord Stark's appointment as Hand of the King. Hence we are to spare no expense on this event," said Renly while he handed over the parchment to Ned, who read its contents.

"How much?" asked Baelish curiously.

"40,000 gold dragons to the champion, 20,000 gold dragons for the runner up, and again 20,000 gold dragons for the winner of the archery," answered Ned while knowing such a fortune was massive for anyone.

All the while, Petyr Baelish was smirking as he was writing things down.

"Can the treasury afford to handle such an hefty expense?" asked Grand Maester Pycelle curiously.

"I'll have to borrow it. Fortunately, the Lannisters will accommodate us. We already owe Lord Tywin 3 million gold dragons. What is another 80,000 more?" answered Baelish in a casual tone to indicate this had happened many time before today.

"Are you telling me the Crown is 3 million gold dragons in debt?" asked Ned in shock while Jon was equally surprised.

"I'm telling you the Crown is _6 million_ gold dragons in debt," answered Baelish like there was nothing wrong with the issue.

"How could you let this happen?" demanded Ned angrily since he had no idea the Crown was so deep in the red.

"Quite simple. The Master of Coin finds money, hence the King and the Hand spend it at their leisure," said Baelish like it was a simple equation.

"I will not believe Jon Arryn would allow King Robert to bankrupt the realm," stated Ned knowing there was more going on here.

"Lord Arryn gave wise and prudent advice...but I fear his Grace doesn't always listen to said advice when given to him," said Grand Maester Pycelle since he had been there to see it happen.

"Counting coppers he called it," added Renly since he had seen it too.

"I'll talk to the King. This tournament is an extravagance we cannot afford," said Ned and he fully intended to talk/yell at Robert later.

"As you will, but it is best we make plan...," said Petyr Baelish before was interrupted.

"There will be no plans until after I speak to Robert!" exclaimed Ned angrily at someone trying to undermine him and the Crown.

Especially since the man responsible for Jon Arryn's death was doing it.

"Father, calm down. Your anger is clouding your mind," whispered Jon after he moved close enough to the man and Ned nodding slightly.

Something Varys noticed immediately while everyone was more stunned with how Ned called the King by name during the small outburst.

"Forgive me my Lords. I had a hard ride here. I'm tired," said Ned and it was clear he was exhausted from the stress of being back in King's Landing after so long.

"You are the King's Hand, Lord Stark. We serve at your pleasure," replied Varys with a smile on his face while speaking in a soothing and comforting tone.

With the Small Council dispersing, Ned Stark left soon after and Jon following him to the Tower of the Hand to rest.

"I assume the Grandmaster informed you of your purpose here while in King's Landing?" asked Ned while Jon/Aegon nodded.

"He told me everything. My mission is to help you bring all the conspirators behind Jon Arryn's murder to justice. I also have to help find out who assisted in pushing Brandon out of the tower aside from the Queen," said Jon with Ned being told as much before he left for the Capital.

"Correct. I will work in the open using my authority as Hand of the King and you will work in the shadows using your teachings under the Lin Kuei Grandmaster," said Ned with Jon nodding since that was the initial plan.

"I noticed a seat on the Small Council was empty," commented Jon with Ned nodding since he saw it too.

"That would be Lord Stannis's seat as the Master of Ships. He is in charge of the Royal Navy. I will ask Varys about his absence at a later time," said Ned while Jon looked at the city though the nearby window.

"Is it true that you, Jamie Lannister, King Robert, and Stannis Baratheon all trained under the Grandmaster?" asked Jon curiously.

"Aye, we did. All of us did. We learned a great deal from him. Some more then others. Even Prince Rheagar himself learned directly under the Grandmaster. The same as you did when growing up," said Ned before he let out a sigh at the memory of all those soon to be Lords of different castles learning at the same time as himself.

"The Grandmaster once said it broke his heart to have so many of his students wage war against each other using his teachings," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"I imagine it did. Rheagar was the Grandmaster's best student in the ways of strategy and understanding war. Sadly, Robert was the better fighter. Rheagar could almost match him and nearly did at the Trident. I was there. One misstep was all it took. One misstep near the river caused Prince Rheagar to lose his footing and stumble to his left. His armored foot was in the river, stuck in the mud, and he couldn't move out of the way. Robert saw his chance, possibly his _only_ chance of defeating Rheagar, and with a mighty swing of his war hammer...the Targaryen Prince breathed no more," said Ned since he had seen it all that day and how close the matchup had been when the two fought it out.

"In terms of strategy, who was better?" asked Jon curiously.

"Rheagar was always better. Robert liked to fight and think at the same time. His brother Stannis did it too, but preferred to think first before any fighting started. He was the only one who could match Rheagar when it came to strategy. Without Stannis to provide some measure of strategic insight, the war would have lasted longer, and I suspect it would be Rheagar sitting on the Iron Throne as the King of the Seven Kingdoms," replied Ned with Jon thinking things over.

"What about Lord Renly? Did he ever learn under the Grandmaster?" asked Jon with Ned shaking his head.

"No. He was too young during the wars. Even when Sub-Zero offered it, Renly politely refused since he preferred poetry, plays, and other things. Things that Robert does not consider to be 'manly' or what he believes will make you a man," answered Ned while remembering Renly was the least "manly" of the three brothers.

"The King is not what I expected him to be when he first arrived in Winterfell," said Jon with Ned smirking, but it was a sad smirk.

"He's changed. Robert's gotten slow. And fat. In his prime, Robert move fast for his size. And he was strong. Incredibly strong. He could wield his war hammer with one hand if necessary. Just one. Now...Now he can't even get off his horse without help. The man I knew, is a shadow of his former self," said Ned sadly while knowing he could admit this to Jon and the young lad would keep his mouth shut about it.

"He mentioned the Targaryens on the way here," commented Jon with Ned nodding.

"Daenerys Targaryen. The Mad King's third child. She has been married off to the leader of a Dothraki Horde. In return, the leader of this Dothraki Horde, Khal Drogo, will march upon the Seven Kingdoms in the name of Daenerys's brother, Viserys Targaryen, in order for him to sit on the Iron Throne," said Ned while Jon looked nervous for a moment.

"Do you think she will be a threat? Either of them? In the near future?" asked Jon with Ned sighing and thought over what he knew of war along with what Sub-Zero taught him.

"It is possible. Perhaps they will be a threat one day through Daenerys and her husband's army. Provided the Dothraki can get their horses to cross the Narrow Sea. The one thing that has kept the Hordes of Dothraki from being a threat to us over the centuries is they fear any water the horses they ride cannot drink," said Ned with Jon thinking things over in his mind.

"All they need are ships with food and supplies to contain and feed their horses. I suspect it won't be long before someone makes that suggestion. Its pretty obvious when you think about it," said Jon with Ned nodding with the feeling of dread growing.

"Aye it is only a matter of time. But the Dorthraki would need to buy or build them. Their culture doesn't believe in money or know how to make a ship," said Ned calmly.

"Or powerful people could give them ships. What better way to make a Dothraki Horde go somewhere else for a long time than send them to another land? There are still those in the Seven Kingdoms who are secretly loyal to House Targaryen. Who is to say they won't provide the ships the Dothraki need?" questioned Jon with his arms crossed and it made Ned smile sadly at him despite everything.

Right now, the boy reminded him of Rheagar when they played out the strategy games the Grandmaster created to challenge his students and their minds. Rheagar had the same stand, look, intensity in his eyes, and seriousness when it came to the long view of things. Always plan and think ahead of your enemy with other plans in place should the one you use fail.

The Grandmaster trained the Prince's son well.

"Loyal to House Targaryen they may be, but none of them would ever allow a barbaric army from another land to be used to conqueror Westeros. Especially a Dothraki Horde. The Dothraki pillage, burn, rape, and plunder everything that stands in their way. They are the land version of the Ironborn and no one House will ever tolerate them running around all throughout the Seven Kingdoms," said Ned with Jon sighing since he did not agree.

Again, a trait the boy inherited from Rheagar when someone told him something that did not feel right.

"All the same, we need to take this seriously. King Robert was right about that much at least," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"The Grandmaster has taught you well," commented Ned with Jon nodding.

"Considering where I am now, anything less would be foolish," commented Jon with Ned nodding and thinking something over in his mind.

"When the time comes, I will tell you about your Mother. I will tell you everything you have wanted to know since growing up in Winterfell," said Ned with Jon looking at him in surprise.

"Why? Why now?" asked Jon with Ned thinking again.

"Because you are strong now. I have kept things from you because the truth is dangerous and even more so when spoken out loud for all to hear. I can't tell you at this moment, but I will tell you soon. I only hope when everything I tell you is revealed...you do not hate me for it," said Ned while Jon frowned.

"Why? Why would I hate you? I still don't understand," replied Jon with Ned sighing.

"When the time comes, you will understand. All I can ask, is that you be patient with me just a little longer," said Ned with Jon looking down and away from him.

"I always asked you in the past about my Mother. Who she was. What did she look like. Even her name. You wouldn't speak it. You wouldn't say anything. When I asked, you were always afraid. Afraid of something. I asked the Grandmaster once if he knew. He said yes, but I should wait to have my questions answered by you," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"I know. I have wronged you by not saying anything. But I was afraid. Afraid of what the truth would do when revealed. Master Liang knew this too, which is why he has sworn himself to silence about it despite his feelings on the matter. But now...I'm not afraid anymore. At least...not entirely," answered Ned while Jon smiling behind the Lin Kuei mask he wore.

"I can wait a little longer. For now, let's do what we were sent here to do," said Jon with Ned nodding since Lyanna would have made a similar comment in her younger years.

It was finally time to find out just how bad the situation with the King ruling the Seven Kingdoms had become.

(A/N: YAY! Another super long chapter. I know some of you feel I am going slow, but I will try to speed things up. I just need some time to instigate all the issues we know and love that happened, but with a twist since certain events will be altered due certain people being involved. Until next time...PEACE!)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-Unraveling the Truth

Bran opened his eyes. He looked around and found himself in his bed. There was pain running through his body. Uncomfortable pain. The kind you wanted to go away, but they didn't for a long time. Not far from his bed was Maester Luwin, who had taken the responsibility to look after the second youngest male of the Stark family. The boy had only woken up recently from his unconscious state and asked what he remembered up to his fall.

Unfortunately, Brandon didn't remember a thing. Even the events leading up to the fall itself were a blank. The last thing he recalled was the King leaving for a hunt with his Father before his mind recalled darkness. A feeling of weightlessness within his mind and images moving too fast to truly understand.

Images not of his home. Images of far away places. A figure made of lightning. A demon with blades coming out the back of his wrists. A giant lizard based creature with massive wings commanding an army of what looked like the undead. A warrior wearing clothing similar to Sub-Zero, but made of pure shadow with glowing eyes and saying two words in a voice that terrified the boy.

 _Fear me_!

These were just some of the many images Brandon saw, but could not interpret what they meant. Maester Luwin had said they were a boy's mind running rampant, but Bran was not so sure. These images were too real to him to be just be his mind playing tricks and the fact some of them showed the Lin Kuei Grandmaster in some of them only made his belief stronger.

"They haven't returned yet?" asked Brandon with Maester Luwin chuckling at the poor boy for being impatient.

"They have only been gone for a few days. They won't be back for some time," replied Maester Luwin with Bran letting out a huff.

"Where did they go? You didn't say," questioned Brandon with Maester Luwin sighing.

"Your Mother and the Grandmaster went on an important errand related to the protection of the Crown. Anything else, I cannot say," said Maester Luwin with Brandon looking away in annoyance.

"My legs and back still hurt," commented Bran with Maester Luwin nodding.

"And it will continue to hurt for a long time. You just had something done to your body no one else has had performed on them before today. All so you can walk once more. If not for the Grandmaster's knowledge of medicine, you would still have no feeling in your legs," said Maester Luwin with Brandon wincing when he tried to move.

"I wish it didn't hurt so much," said Brandon with Maester Luwin helping the boy sit up in his bed.

"Think of it as a sharp reminder to be mindful of how lucky you are to walk again. There are those throughout the Seven Kingdoms who are not so fortunate to be given a second chance," said Maester Luwin and saw the boy think over his words before nodding.

"This procedure that was done to me, it should be shared with the rest of the world," said Brandon with Maester Luwin nodding.

"Aye, it should be shared with the world. Will it? Who can honestly say. The King might press the issue to the Citadel given your Father is his Hand. But will they act on it? I don't know. But I hope they do," said Maester Luwin before Hodor came into the room ready to assist Brandon with his walking.

(King's Landing-Joffrey's Room)

"Ow," said Joffrey and winced when his Mother put some cream on his arm where the dire wolf bit him and on the bruises he suffered from the harsh training Jon Stark put him through.

"Please, its nearly healed," said Cersei while she saw the bruises on her son's arm were actually worse.

"It's ugly. So are the bruises," said Joffrey in a bitter tone.

"A King should have scars. Especially after you fought off a large dire wolf. You fought against a fierce warrior with only your mind and wits. You're just like your Father," said Cersei with a smile.

"I'm nothing like him. I didn't fight off anything. Not the dire wolf or the warrior. And they all saw it. Even when the Stark girls were brought before Father to face judgment," said Joffrey bitterly and hated the fact his revenge was denied.

"That's not true. You held your own against a man with years of experience in the art of fighting. The dire wolf was beaten by your skills with a blade and forced to return to its home or risk being put down," said Cersei with Joffrey looking angry.

"That's not what happened," commented Joffrey with his Mother putting a hand on his chin and made the boy look at her.

"When you are King, you can make things the way you want them to be for others to believe. On day, you will sit on the Iron Throne and the truth is whatever you want it to be and no one will have the power to stop it from staying that way," said Cersei gently while trying to soothe her "pure lion" and his ego.

Not to mention House Lannister's pride, which she felt was violated by the Starks and the Lin Kuei.

"Do I have to marry the Stark girl?" asked Joffrey after a period of long silence.

"I don't know. Maybe. Your Father is considering it, but Lord Stark is not entirely sure if all sides will be happy. Why? Do you want to marry her?" asked Cersei curiously so to gauge what her son felt for the eldest of the Stark girls.

"I don't know. She is pretty...for a Northern girl. A little on the stupid side, but that is to be expected of someone born in the North," remarked Joffrey with Cersei smiling further since she agreed with him.

"All the same, do something nice for the Stark girl," replied Cersei while Joffrey looked upset with the idea of doing something nice and for someone else's benefit.

"I don't want to do something nice for her," protested Joffrey with a scowl.

"But you will. The occasional kindness will spare you lots of trouble and pain down the road. It doesn't have to be something grand or expensive. Even a small or minor gift on your part will make the hardships seem lighter. It will help in securing the girl in being yours and yours alone," said Cersei while Joffrey seemed to be angrier about it.

"I would have had her heart already, if not for her sister's barbaric nature. And there is also the issue of her half-brother interfering in my fun," said Joffrey bitterly with Cersei's smile lessening at the mention of Jon Stark.

She would make him regret the day he stood between her son and punishing the wolf girl when on the King's Road.

"As King, how would you handle them?" asked Cersei curiously on how her son would rule.

"I would double their taxes and command them to supply 10,000 men to be part of the Royal Army," declared Joffrey with Cersei looking amused.

"The Royal Army?" asked Cersei while wanting to hear more of her son's plan.

"Why should every Lord command his own men. It is primitive. No better then the Hill Tribes. We should have a standing army with men loyal only to the Crown. Trained by experienced soldiers. Not peasants who have barely ever held a pike in their entire lives," commented Joffrey while Cersei looked more amused instead of impressed.

"And if the Northerners rebel?" asked Cersei while wondering how her son would deal with rebellion.

"I would crush them. I would seize Winterfell and install someone loyal to the Crown to be Warden of the North. Uncle Kevan maybe," replied Joffrey while Cersei shook her head at the boy's short sightedness.

The one thing she couldn't pin on Robert since the man wasn't Joffrey's real Father.

"And these 10,000 troops for the Royal Army. Will they fight for you or their Lord?" asked Cersei knowing the answer already.

"For me. I am their King," answered Joffrey like it was the obvious answer.

"Unlikely. You doubled their taxes, invaded their homeland, and asking them to kill their fellow brothers in the North. All the while pillaging everything else of value for your own benefit," said Cersei with Joffrey looking like it was suppose to be this way.

"I'm not asking them. I'm commanding them. I am their King. They will do what I say or be put to the sword," stated Joffrey while Cersei shook her head.

"The North cannot be held. Not by an outsider. It is too big and too wild. You know the old saying, there must always be a Stark at Winterfell. It is the same as there must always be a Lannister in the Westernlands. A good King knows when to save his strength and when to unleash it to destroy his enemies," said Cersei with Joffrey looking displeased by her words of wisdom.

"So you agree. The Starks are our enemies," said Joffrey with Cersei looking him in the eyes for a long moment.

"Everyone who isn't us is our enemies," was Cersei's cryptic reply before attending to her son's injuries again.

(King's Landing-City Gates)

"Are you sure about this Lady Stark? You risk someone recognizing your face," said Ser Rodrik while they rode their horses into the city gate.

"It has been nine years since I set foot in the Capital. And no one knew who I was the last time I was here," said Cat confidently.

"That was nine years ago. Clearly someone knows you now," commented Sub-Zero while he saw to guards on horses head their way.

"Welcome to King's Landing Lady Stark. Would you mind following us?" asked the first guard.

"I certainly do mind. We have done nothing wrong," said Cat with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"We have been instructed to escort you into the city," said the first guard professionally and rode up to the Tully woman.

"Instructed? I don't know who is providing your instruction, but...," said Catelyn, but was cut off by the second guard.

"All will be explained. Please follow me," said the second guard before escorting the three of them to a nearby brothel and escorted them into a room.

Where one Petyr Baelish was sitting beside a whore before he dismissed her.

"Cat!" exclaimed Petyr happily while Catelyn Stark looked less than happy.

"You little worm! You take me for some back alley Sally you can drag into a...," said Cat before a man and whore walked into the room.

And Petyr commanding via a snapping of his fingers to the whore to take her client away.

"I meant no disrespect. Especially to you of all people," said Petyr while trying to calm the angry Tully woman.

"How dare you bring me here? Have you lost your mind?!" demanded Catelyn while her voice carried throughout the room.

"I am sorry. But no one will come looking for you here. Isn't that what you wanted? The locale is horrible, I know. Yet who would look for Catelyn Tully Stark in a brothel of all places?" explained Petyr with Cat looking less than pleased.

"How did you even know I was coming to King's Landing in the first place? How did you know I was where to look?" asked Catelyn while Petyr smile and looked right past her to the bead covered door.

"A dear friend," said Petyr with the "friend" coming out of the shadows to reveal himself to be Varys.

"Lady Stark," said Varys before bowing to the Tully woman.

"Lord Varys," replied Catelyn politely, yet surprised.

"To see you after so many years is truly a blessing. When I heard what nearly happened to your poor son Brandon, I nearly died. To think someone would go so far as to kill an innocent child. I deplore such people and believe children are blameless. Oh, your poor hands," said Varys before he gently held the woman's hands and sorrow filled his eyes at the proof of Catelyn's fight with the assassin to protect her child.

"How did you know I was coming here?" asked Catelyn before she slowly removed her hands from him.

Knowledge is my trade. I have little birds everywhere. Even in the North. They sing to me the most interesting of conversations. Including the one about the assassin and the choice of weapon he used. I trust you brought the dagger with you?" asked Varys with Catelyn looking at him before turning to look at Ser Rodrik and Sub-Zero.

"We do. It is quite a unique item for such a low level assassin to possess," said Sub-Zero before he produced the dagger and gave it to Varys to examine.

"Valerian steel and dragon bone. Indeed. Such an item would be one of a kind. How a lowly assassin came across this, is a mystery," said Varys before he sheathed it and gave it back to Sub-Zero.

"So you don't know who was the owner of this weapon?" asked Catelyn while Varys just shook his head.

"I'm afraid I do not," answered Varys while Petyr laughed.

"This is a historic day. I know something that you do not," said Petyr with everyone now looking at him.

"You know who this belongs to?" asked Catelyn with Sub-Zero narrowing his eyes.

"Of course I do. There is no other dagger like this in all the Seven Kingdoms. And it is mine." admitted Petyr while Cat looked shocked.

"Yours?" asked Cat in shock.

"Or at least it _was_ , until the tournament celebrating Prince Joffrey's last name day. I bet on Ser Jamie Lannister to win the joust as any man would. Imagine my surprise and the others when he lost to the Knight of Flowers. As a result, I lost the dagger to the winner of said bet," explained Petyr while Catelyn had a bad feeling about this.

"To whom?" asked Catelyn while Petyr smiled further.

"To Tyrion Lannister. The Imp," said Petyr while Catelyn looked shocked by this.

Sub-Zero however, did not believe it.

(Later that Day)

Ned found himself in the brothel. He hated coming here. Too many eyes and ears. All of them would no doubt be whispering to certain parties of him being here. Rumors of him being unfaithful to his wife or possibly trying to have another child, even a bastard son would reach the ears of the King. Not that Robert would care. The man had been with so many women outside of his wife, he had no room to talk, much less judge Ned. In fact, Ned suspected Robert would laugh and joke about it in wanting to expand the Stark name to live further South in some capacity.

Still, to keep further rumors from spreading to other people around him, Ned ordered Jon to stay close to Arya and Sansa until his return.

"This is not enough Cat. Even if you could present it to the King, the proof is minimal," said Ned after he saw Catelyn once inside the brothel.

Catelyn soon explained everything to him that that happened in Winterfell since leaving for King's Landing. Brandon's surgery, it being a success, and how the assassin tried to kill their son but failed in the attempt. Per Sub-Zero's suggesting, she didn't tell Ned or Petyr about how the assassin survived and was being interrogated in secret for the name of the man's employer.

"But we have the proof. The dagger and the fact it belong to Tyrion should be enough," said Cat while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"And I keep telling you, Tyrion is not the man behind the assassin. Besides, even if you do bring this to the King now, Tyrion would just deny it. He could easily say the dagger was stolen at some point. There is no evidence to dispute otherwise," said Sub-Zero and did not believe Tyrion of all the Lannisters would hire an assassin.

Tywin? Yes. Tyrion? No. Besides, Bran had done nothing to earn Tyrion's scorn.

"Not to mention the only other person who could provide the proof has died during the struggle you were in Cat," commented Petyr while Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes further.

"Lord Baelish has promised to help us in this endeavor to find the truth," said Cat while looking at Ned while her husband looked at Baelish.

Oh how he wanted to run his sword through the man's guts right now.

"I will try to keep you alive for her sake. A fools task to be sure, but I was never one to refuse your wife anything," said Petyr with love and affection in his voice that made Ned snarl slightly.

Fortunately, his wife missed it when looking at Petyr.

"I won't forget this. You are a true friend Petyr," said Catelyn while Petyr smiled with a hint of pain in his eyes at being called "friend".

"Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain," commented Petyr jokingly while the resentment he felt for Ned Stark flashed in his eyes for a second when Catelyn hugged the Lord Hand.

Something Sub-Zero saw easily enough.

'The vile snake holds back from showing his fangs and the venom that comes with them,' thought Sub-Zero and knew Baelish was biding his time to put his plans into motion.

Plans that Sub-Zero intended to stop when the time was right.

(Winterfell-At the Moment)

In the Main Hall of Winterfell, Robb Stark sat at the head of the table while staring down the dwarf and Imp of House Lannister. Beside Tyrion, was Yoren, a proud member of the Night's Watch, who was heading to King's Landing to get recruits to take the Black. After Tyrion came to see the Wall and to piss off of it, he was able to obtain a strong friendship with Yoren.

"I must say, I received a much warmer welcome the last time I was here at Winterfell," commented Tyrion while noticing who was in the room and who was not.

"Any man from the Night's Watch is welcome here," said Robb while nodding to Yoren who bowed slightly in thanks.

"Any man of the Night's Watch, but not I, aye boy?" asked Tyrion before Robb glared at him with anger worthy of a Stark and House Sigil.

"I am not your boy. I am the Lord of Winterfell while my Father is away as Hand of the King," said Robb while Tyrion nodding.

"And you might learn a Lord's curtsey," said Tyrion before turning to see Brandon slowly walking into the room with Hodor and Theon by his side.

"So it is true. I heard in passing that young Brandon awoke and was able to walk again. Do you remember anything from that moment?" asked Tyrion while seeing the boy was in pain.

Hence the walking slow part.

"The boy remembers nothing. The Grandmaster was able to save his ability to walk, but can do nothing for his memories," said Maester Luwin with Tyrion looking at Bran.

"To survive such a fall and to live means young Bran is strong. As to be expected from a member of House Stark," said Tyrion since he knew Starks were made of sterner stuff due to their time in the North earning everything with the rest of the people here.

"Maester Luwin says it will be some time before I can walk without any pain," said Bran while Tyrion nodded in understanding.

"Considering the procedure you just underwent, I would be more surprised if you didn't feel any pain. The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei is a man of many talents. In fact, he had asked for my help on an issue regarding your need for climbing before I left for the Wall. Which is why this gift will come to aid you in the years to come," said Tyrion, who gave Bran a parchment to see what was inside.

"What is it?" asked Bran while trying to decipher the plans.

"These are special climbing harnesses for when you wish to scale a wall or even a tower. This was designed originally by Brandon the Builder himself. Apparently, he had a taste for climbing buildings as he did for making them. I spent time with Maester Aemon at Castle Black to inquire about such things and made a few modifications to the plans to ensure better performance," explained Tyrion while Brandon looked at the plans with joy.

"So I will be able to climb better using this?" asked Brandon with Tyrion nodding.

"Bette and safer. It is designed so should you fall, a piece of the harness with the cord is attached to the wall or tower to prevent a very unpleasant death. The cord itself must be strong enough to hold your given weight and the hook attached to the wall must be strong enough to hold itself when you fall so your weight doesn't pry it loose," said Tyrion with Brandon nodding before he smiled at him.

"Is this some kind of trick Lannister?" questioned Robb while Maester Luwin was shown the plans and verifying the authenticity of what they could do.

"It is no trick Lord Stark. Young Bran was nearly crippled and if rumors are true, nearly killed by some assassin stupid enough to make an attempt on his life. I have a weakness for cripples, bastards, and broken things," said Tyrion seriously since he lived a humble life in seeing things from the perspective closest to the common folk.

"Thank you Lord Tyrion for this gift. I will not forget this kindness," said Brandon with Tyrion nodding and smiled knowing the boy meant it.

"You have indeed shown my brother a kindness Lord Tyrion. I apologize if my attitude has been cold to you. The whole issue with my brother's near death from that fall and the attempt by the assassin has everyone on edge. The true hospitality of Winterfell is yours," said Robb with Tyrion thinking it over before nodding in his mind.

Usually he would throw off such politeness and apologies considering they were usually false, forced, or required of a High Lord. But this was a genuine thanks and the Starks had every reason to be cautious with guests who came into their home.

"I was going to stay at the nearest brothel, but as I told Yoren here, we would be staying at the finest castles and Inns on out travel to King's Landing. I am many things, but I will not be made a liar," said Tyrion while smiling and felt he should stay at Winterfell for a few days.

If only to see how Brandon was taking to his recovery.

(Essos-At the Moment)

Riding in a Dothraki Horde of Khal Drogo was Daenerys Targaryen Stormborn rode on her horse with Ser Jorah Mormont riding beside her. She had been wed to Khal Drogo and become his wife while her brother Viserys was eagerly waiting for the day he could use this army against the Usurper. But deep down in her heart, a steadily growing feeling within Daenerys was taking shape, whispering that Viserys was a fool, and that he would _never_ conqueror the Seven Kingdoms.

And given his already impatient, as well as impulsive manner, the voice grew in strength with each passing day. Her brother was constantly talking down to others, whether they knew what he was saying or not. Daenerys wondered if any of the Dothraki understood what Viserys was saying to them half the time. Just as she wondered if Viserys was even aware how the Dothraki would speak ill of him in his presence. Her brother did not speak their language so it was clear Khal Drogo could insult Viserys all day without him even knowing short of Ser Jorah translating.

"Vaes Dothrak, the city of the horse lords," said Jorah Mormont to Daenerys as they got closer to the city.

"It is just a pile of mud. Of mud and shit and twigs. Is this the best these savages can do?" commented Viserys in a displeasing tone and not seeing some of the angry looks being sent his way by the Dothraki around him.

"These are my people now. You should not insult them or call them savages," countered Daenerys with Viserys scowling at her for a second.

"I'll call them what I like because they are my people. This is my army. Khal Drogo is marching it in the wrong way with my army," Viserys remarked angrily before he rode off into the city.

"If my brother was given an army of Dothraki, could he retake the Seven Kingdoms?" asked Daenerys to Ser Jorah.

"The Dothraki have never crossed the Narrow Sea. They fear any water their horses can't drink," answered Jorah while having the same beliefs about them as Ned Stark when it came to the Dothraki.

"But if they did? If they found a way?" asked Daenerys with Ser Jorah thinking over the possibility of the Dothraki setting foot on his homeland.

"King Robert is a fool to meet them in open battle, but the men who advise him in the ways of strategy are different," answered Ser Jorah.

"And you know these men?" asked Daenerys with Jorah nodding.

"I fought beside them once...long ago. Now Ned Stark wants my head. He drove me from my lands. Sadly, King Robert and Ned Stark are not the true threat," answered Ser Jorah while missing his home and family on Bear Island.

"Who is?" asked Daenerys curiously since she always assumed it was House Baratheon and House Stark who were threats to her return.

"The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. His name is Kuai Liang. He arrived many years ago during your Father's time as King before Robert's Rebellion and gained favor with him during a tourney. He was made the King's Champion on the spot before participating in the melee and archery competition. He won both, but refused to joust due to never having been in one and did not wish to make your Father appear foolish in front of all the people there," said Ser Jorah having heard the tale from his Father when inquiring about the Lin Kuei.

"And he is the deadlier threat?" asked Daenerys while Jorah nodded.

"Aye. Many High Lords of today, if not their Heirs, have been his students in the past when he was building his clan from the ground up. He even taught your brother Rheagar how to fight using a dragon based hand to hand combat fighting style. He taught them all the ways of strategy and how to wage war before it would even begin, which was later used by them against one another during Robert's Rebellion," said Jorah while Daenerys thinking things over in his head.

"So he is neutral," commented Daenerys with Jorah nodding.

"Aye. When Robert's Rebellion happened, Master Liang took no sides in it. The closest he ever came to taking a side was when Tywin Lannister sacked King's Landing. It was widely rumored the lion had his most ruthless of enforcers, Gregor 'The Mountain that Rides' Clegane, and Armory Lorch attack Elia Martell along with her two children. The rumor also has it that the Grandmaster had just arrived shortly after young baby Aegon's death and just as Gregor Clegane was about to violate Elia Martell. From what I heard, Master Liang killed the Mountain by using the power to create ice from his very body to freeze him to a nearby wall before cutting Clegane open. After crippling Armory Lorch, he rescued Elia Martel and her daughter from the vengeful wrath of the newly made King Robert," said Jorah with Daenerys nodding since Viserys had told her some things, but she had doubts on the truth behind them.

"It sounds as if he has a Code of Honor?" asked Daenerys with Jorah nodding.

"Aye, he does have honor. While his clan are essentially assassins and spies who work for money, the Lin Kuei will not kill just anyone for profit. They will not kill children or take innocent lives knowing it will make them enemies of powerful Houses. As I said, when the Usurper started his war against your Father, the Lin Kuei did not take sides with either one. Instead the Grandmaster chose keep the war away from the people using what few trained agents the he had at the time. Some even call the Grandmaster the Dragon of Ice given his powers and his armor showing some dragon based creatures on it," said Ser Jorah with Daenerys thinking things over.

"There can only be room in the Seven Kingdoms for one House of the dragon. Would this Grandmaster bend the knee if asked or commanded?" asked Daenerys curiously.

"I don't know Khaleesi. Master Liang has never bent the knee to anyone who has sat on the Iron Throne. Not your Father or King Robert," said Ser Jorah since it was true.

"Maybe that's because those who sat on the Iron Throne were Kings. Perhaps a Queen can do what others cannot," commented Daenerys thoughtfully.

(King's Landing-Private Location)

"It is good to see you again my friend. After so long, I believe you haven't aged a day. One of these days you must share your secret with me," said Varys with a smile and Sub-Zero nodding.

"You have aged well Varys. Usually those who live in the Capital seem to have the life sucked right out of them within a few years," commented Sub-Zero while Varys made a noise.

"True enough. But I tend to live far better than most. As to you being here, I must admit, I was surprised to see you come to King's Landing. It wasn't a social visit I imagine. Or was this a means to keep an eye on such a promising young student under the command of the Lord Hand?" said Varys curiously while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"Lady Stark needed an escort. While Ser Rodrik should have been enough, one does not take chances with the life of someone like her to the open road," answered Sub-Zero and Varys nodded in agreement.

"Truer words have never been spoken. The roads these days are treacherous no matter who comes across them. Even High Lords need a strong escort these days to protect them from bandits and Hill Tribes," said Varys before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Has Ned Stark made progress on who killed Jon Arryn?" asked Sub-Zero with Varys shrugging his shoulders.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I only see him at Small Council meetings. Sadly, from what I have been able to surmise, the answer to your question would be...minimal," answered Varys with Sub-Zero making a noise.

"The duties of being Hand of the King have been delaying him," commented Sub-Zero and Varys nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. Sadly, the tournament King Robert wished to have in honor of Ned Stark's new appointment as Hand of the King has caused an increase to those problems," said Varys since the tournament had caused more issues to further make Ned Stark's life more tired with each passing day.

"Jon Arryn's wife is part of the conspiracy," admitted Sub-Zero with Varys looking a tad surprised by this.

"Really? Well that explains how Lord Arryn was poisoned. Who else could get close to the late Lord Hand. Though I do question who gave her the poison to do it," said Varys with Sub-Zero explaining how it was Petyr Baelish who was suspected of the event.

"Ned Stark and I suspect there maybe more conspirators in all this, but its more theory and speculation at this point," said Sub-Zero while Varys nodded while thinking things over in his head.

"Perhaps I can help a little. Have either you or Ned Stark heard of Ser Hugh of the Vale?" asked Varys with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"Not that I recall. I'm sure Ned would have mentioned him if he was important," replied Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"That's because Ser Hugh isn't important. At least not until recently, when the man was knighted in a private ceremony," said Varys with Sub-Zero frowning.

"You said he was from the Vale? Meaning his connection to the Vale connects him to Jon Arryn," commented Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"Indeed. He's connected to Jon Arryn because Ser Hugh was once Jon Arryn's squire up until the former Lord Hand's sudden death. Strange coincidence that the squire should suddenly rise in rank shortly after his Lord's sudden and unexpected demise, don't you agree?" replied Varys with a knowing look on his face.

"I will pass that onto Ned before I depart. Hopefully, we can obtain him before certain conspirators wish to cut loose ends," said Sub-Zero with Varys nodding.

"I would make haste my friend. I understand Ser Hugh intends to partake in the jousting part of the tourney. Dreadful things can happen even in the most civilized events," said Vary with the Lin Kuei Grandmaster nodding.

(Tower of the Hand-Sometime Later)

"Ser Hugh of the Vale? Jon Arryn's former squire?" asked Ned with Jon/Aegon nodding.

"The Grandmaster told me. He felt it was important to know. The mere fact that a squire, who has done nothing great to warrant a knighthood was made a knight raises quite a few questions. Even more so when it happens right after Lord Arryn's death," said Jon with Ned frowning.

"Lord Baelish felt I should speak to Ser Hugh myself. He claims to be helping me find the employer of the assassin aimed at killing Bran, but I have my doubts," said Ned with Jon nodding in agreement.

"He's pretending to be your friend and gain your trust. When the moment presents itself, Lord Baelish will betray you," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"I also suspect he is plotting to pit my House against House Lannister," said Ned before he revealed a book to Jon.

"Over a book?" asked Jon with Ned closing his eyes.

"Something within this book. Something that Lord Baelish clearly hinted the Lannisters don't want us to find. I also suspect, he wants me to believe the Lannisters tried to kill Bran to cover up whatever the secret may be. Even before the assassination attempt," said Ned with Jon frowning at this information.

"He's trying to guide you by the nose. By following the trail of clues laid there by Lord Baelish himself, you expose your back to him after a time before he slits your throat at the last possible moment when your back is turned," commented Jon with Ned growling with impatience.

"I know what Lord Baelish is trying to do, but I have to play along with his plans to move things forward. I already sent Jory to retrieve Ser Hugh before the jousting begins," said Ned with Jon nodding, but had his doubts the man comply with someone who was not a knight.

"And if our recently knighted suspect doesn't comply with the command? Jory is not a knight and Hugh technically outranks him in terms of authority. Something Hugh will no doubt comment on despite Jory being sent by you," commented Jon with Ned thinking it over in his head before a small smirk appeared on his face.

"I was under the impression that the Lin Kuei had the skills needed to obtain or capture anyone when necessary," said Ned with Jon smirking behind his mask.

"Of course. And since King Robert has given you full authority to do what is necessary to move the investigation further, it means you have can use such power to send me to get the so called knight of the Vale for questioning," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"If Jory fails to get Ser Hugh to see me, do what you must to make this so called knight see me," said Ned with Jon nodding before he left.

(Tourney Grounds-Short Time Later)

"Excuse me, Ser Hugh. I need to speak with you," said Jory while addressing someone who was measuring strides with his walking and counting at the same time.

"I am busy. Leave me alone," commented Ser Hugh rudely.

"I come here under the command of Lord Eddard Stark. The Hand of the King," said Jory with Ser Hugh turning around to finally address him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get your name Ser...," said Ser Hugh while Jory bit his tongue.

"I'm not a Ser since I am not knight," said Jory with Ser Hugh looking smug.

"Well it just so happens...I am a knight! And I don't have to talk to you or come with you anywhere. When the Hand of the King wishes to see me about something, he can come here himself," said Ser Hugh before going back to measuring his invisible stride of his horse and walking awkwardly while doing it.

And while Jory left to report this to his Lord, a shadow watched the supposed knight of the Vale for the right moment to strike.

(King's Landing-Street of Steel)

"Ser Hugh said he would talk to you if and when you came to see him. The man thinks his position as a knight makes him special," said Jory while he and Ned Stark rode their horses gently through the crowd.

Ned had been _advised_ by Lord Baelish to visit the blacksmith in this area to see who Jon Arryn was visiting a couple of times, but not for weapons or armor. No, the person who had Jon Arryn's interest was a young apprentice of the blacksmith himself named Gendry Waters. Ned didn't know why Baelish suggest he visit the boy, but would "listen" to said advice for now, and play along with the snake's still yet to be revealed plan.

"Everyone can become a knight these days. Most don't even know how to wield or swing a sword," commented Ned while wondering how men could become knights simply by knowing a fellow knight or High Lord and _not_ do anything to earn the title.

"Should we be so out in the open my Lord? A lot of people can see us," commented Jory with Ned not caring since he was visiting a blacksmith not a brothel.

"Let them watch," replied Ned since he had nothing to fear with people seeing him visit a simple blacksmith.

So Jory waited by the horses, looking around for good measure. Feeling the different eyes of several people watching him and Lord Stark in this area. Only for Ned Stark to come back with a shocked look on his face and possibly something else to go with it.

"What did you find my Lord?" asked Jory with Ned looking at him before looking back from the blacksmith's store.

"I think we just found Robert's bastard son," commented Ned with Jory looking surprised by this news.

"The King's bastard son? How can you tell?" said Jory in a whisper.

"Because the boy looks just like him back when we were young men," said Ned and now realized why Jon had inquired about Gendry.

Though why Baelish wished for him to investigate one of Robert's bastard children was a mystery to him.

(Day of the Jousting Tournament)

Many were getting impatient. Many were eager to see who would win and who would be knocked off their horse in defeat. At the moment, everyone was waiting for Ser Hugh of the Vale to show up since he was called to ride against Armory Lorch. The ugly monster of a man had been sent by Tywin Lannister to win the joust in order to pay the lion back for investing so much gold in the pig man's recovery all those years ago.

"Enough of the bloody pomp! Hurry up and get on with it before I piss myself!" declared Robert while Cersei looked disgusted and left moments later.

Armory Lorch soon appeared before the King and bowed, but Ser Hugh was nowhere to be found with many wondering where the newly made knight of the Vale was? Did he run away? Did he realize it was too soon to compete after just being knighted?

Where was Ser Hugh?

(Undisclosed Location)

Ser Hugh breathed loudly when the bag was swiftly yanked off his head. His arms were tied behind his back and additional rope tied them to the chair he was sitting on. Looking around, the knight of the Vale found himself in a dark room with very little light in it. A few candles here and there, but in the far distant corners of a large room.

A large room clearly meant to be unpleasant for anyone who crossed its owner.

And that "anyone" just so happened to be him.

"Ser Hugh of the Vale," said Jon in the shadows of the room with his voice echoing all throughout to throw off the man's ears.

"Who are you?" asked Hugh while trying to look around for his captor.

" _Who I am_ ,is not important right now. What is important, is capturing you alive," said Jon while walking around his captor in the shadows of the room.

"Capturing me alive? Do you even know who I am?" demanded/asked Hugh while he hoped his title as a knight of the Vale would make his kidnapper hesitant to hurt him.

"Of course I know who you are, _Ser Hugh_ _of the Vale_. I also know you were once the late Lord Arryn's squire until just recently," answered Jon while seeing the man struggling to get out of his chair.

"If you know this, then you also realize that I know powerful friends in the Vale. Friends who will not tolerate this action against one of their own," said Hugh while Jon narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm sure you do. But I bet these friends wouldn't be friends for much longer if they knew you helped poison Jon Arryn," said Jon and saw the instant knee jerk reaction and fear now showing on the man's face.

"I-I did no such thing. Lord Arryn died of natural causes. A fever struck him," said Hugh with Jon scoffing.

"Please, spare me your excuse. Would I accuse you of such a dishonorable thing if I did not know the truth? That you had a hand in Jon Arryn's death? That people conspired to kill him for their own selfish desires and purposes? And that you, being an ambitious man yourself...were one of them?" asked Jon while whispering into Hugh's ear in low tone, which only made the man more fearful.

"You can't prove it. You can't prove anything!" protested Hugh, but his words held doubt and fear.

Something Jon/Aegon was taught by Sub-Zero to use when available.

"Can't I? We know the poison that was used. We know the buyer. We know who put it in Jon's food and wine the night he died. And we know, it was _you_ were the one who gave it to Jon's not so loving _wife_. We can prove it. All I have to do, is drag you along with all of your conspirators into the throne room before the King, and watch as the man declared your heads be removed from your body," said Jon with Hugh sweating heavier now.

"W-Why haven't you?" asked Hugh curiously.

"Because you may have some additional information locked in that head of yours. And I intend to get it from you...one way or another. If you cooperate you in answering all my questions, the decision made to remove your head could be replaced by sending you to Wall instead," said Jon while Hugh looking nervous.

"What do you want to know?" asked Hugh fearfully.

"We know Petyr Baelish wanted Jon Arryn dead. What we don't know, is why he wanted your Lord dead? Jon Arryn was a man of peace. Without him, the Seven Kingdoms was at risk and still is at risk of going to war with itself. So why?" demanded Jon with Hugh thinking for a moment to compose himself.

"Lord Baelish is an ambitious man. Always has been. He has High Lords from all over Westeros in his pocket from almost the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms. The only real exception is the North and Westernlands because the North doesn't have people he can use and not even Lord Baelish will challenge Tywin Lannister as things are now. Still, the man knows each of the deepest and darkest secrets of these High Lords. Secrets that go against the laws set forth by Gods and Men. In exchange for his silence, these Lords have pledge to help him in his ambitions when called upon. But they have too much respect Jon Arryn, who has been standing in Baelish's way, to betray him. With my late Lord out of the way, nothing is stopping these High Lords to summon their banners to fight for him if the right time came for the call," said Hugh while Jon snarled behind his mask.

"He seeks the Iron Throne. But there are multiple obstacles in his way and Lord Baelish wants to have them killed to remove anyone with right bloodline capable of challenging him. Add the High Lords he will obtain by his side should he prove victorious, I imagine the reward for their so called 'loyalty' will be immense," said Jon with Hugh nodding.

"He has promised them the lands and castles of their enemies when the Seven Kingdoms became his own," said Hugh while being promised a castle and decent land in the Vale if he continued to be loyal.

"And Lysa Arryn? Why did she poison her own husband? What does she gain from it?" asked Jon with Hugh thinking for a second.

"She didn't love Lord Arryn. It was an arranged marriage created between her Father and the late Lord Hand. She loves Lord Baelish. She has always loved him. Jon wanted to have his son Robin to be fostered with Stannis, but Lady Lysa wouldn't allow it. She has been noticeably clingy to the boy. As if he was made of poorly constructed and fragile glass. Even after all this time, she breast feeds him despite being too old for it. She told Petyr of Jon's plans for her son that same day and he suggested killing Jon and writing a letter to her sister Catelyn in order to frame the Lannisters to throw off suspicion. He wanted to weaken House Stark and House Lannister the only way possible," said Hugh with a now angry Jon growling.

"War. He wants the Wolf and the Lion to fight until one is victorious over the other. With the victorious party still weak from the fighting, he will strike," said Jon with Hugh just nodding.

"Lord Baelish promised me wealth, lands, and a Lordship once he became King," replied Ser Hugh while Jon snarled.

"Jon Arryn could have given you those things too if you were patient enough," said Jon while Hugh shook his head and bitterness showed on his face.

"By that point, I would have been an old man. Any child I sired would be benefiting from it more over myself. Lord Baelish promised I would still be a young man by the time he took the Iron Throne. I wasn't about to wait to get what I had earned from my time being the squire of that old man," replied Hugh angrily since he knew how Jon Arryn's speed on who would be rewarded by him was not the quickest.

"Hardly the point. There is something to be said for loyalty," said Jon angrily.

"Loyalty to someone like Jon Arryn isn't worth the prestige people think it holds. He was an old man with time nipping at his heel," spat Hugh while wanting what he felt was his for all the times he service as Jon Arryn's squire.

"You mentioned how Lord Baelish was seeking to make the Starks and Lannisters fight each other. Are the Lannisters partially involved in the plot in some way? Or are they just a means to an end?" asked Jon with Hugh shaking his head.

"I don't know if they are involved or they are just being used as pawns in Lord Baelish's pursuit for the Iron Throne. But I wouldn't be surprised if Jon Arryn's death did benefit them in some way and they were plotting their own means of betraying King Robert to further their own treacherous House," answered Hugh with Jon making a noise.

"Just like how you will now pay for your treachery," said Jon with Hugh struggling.

"Wait! Wait! You can't do this! I deserve a trial to explain my actions. Or at least let me take the Black!" protested Ser Hugh before his mouth was gagged and a bag was put over his head before being knocked out via a blow to the head.

"You can explain yourself when the time comes...in front of the King," commented Jon before

(Crossroads Inn-Sometime Later)

Catelyn Tully Stark kept her face covered for the most part. She wanted to keep a low profile after leaving King's Landing. Petyr Baelish had offered his assistance to use his influence and resources to assist her husband find out who tried to murder Bran. But it seemed Ned wanted to keep the man at arms length and the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was not convinced Tyrion Lannister was the employer of the assassin sent to kill Bran.

They had argued about it all the way to the Inn until finally, it seemed even Master Liang had enough of her Tully stubbornness before leaving them. When asked why, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster said "I will have no part in the mess you make should you cross paths with Tyrion Lannister. Whatever foolishness you get into regarding this or the lives lost in the process will be on you and you alone." before leaving in another direction.

They haven't seen him since and assumed the man rode off back to the North to the Lin Kuei compound to attend to clan matters related to running it.

"My Lady, if I may speak freely, I don't think Tyrion Lannister is behind what happened to Bran," said Ser Rodrik with Catelyn looking at him in surprise.

"You saw the evidence Ser Rodrik. What makes you think differently?" asked Catelyn with Ser Rodrik sighing. 

"I will admit, the evidence does seem to point to the Imp, but there is no motive to the action. Tyrion never really met the boy until the feast for when the King arrived in the North. Plus, from what I know of the man's reputation, he would sooner spend money on wine, whores, and an occasionally good book. The King's Slayer, I can see doing it given his questionable nature. The Queen herself I believe is also a suspect, but only _IF_ Bran had done something extremely offensive to her. Tyrion Lannister isn't like his Father or his other siblings. There is some measure of humility in him born from his deformed stature. He would gain nothing from hurting Bran or having your son killed soon after," said Ser Rodrik with Catelyn looking away.

"If what you say is true, how did the man's dagger end up in the hands of an assassin?" asked Catelyn countered in a whisper.

"Excuse me Lord Lannister, we don't have a room available for you," said the woman running the Inn.

"My associates can sleep in the barn. And I don't need a big room as you can plainly see from my height. Just a small closet will do," remarked Tyrion after coming into the room with Yoren from the Night's Watch.

"Would you like me to sing you a song Lord Lannister? Perhaps one that commemorates your Father's great victories in past battles?" said the minstrel trying to earn some coin from the Inn patrons.

"Nothing would make me lose my appetite faster. Is there no one here willing to give up their room?" asked Tyrion while holding a golden dragon in his hand and hitting the table near him with it to further prove the coin was real.

"You can have mine," said a man by the name of Bronn.

"Now there is a smart man," said Tyrion before he threw the coin to the man and turned his head to see two familiar faces.

"Lady Stark," commented Tyrion with all the people in the room now looking at the red haired woman, who decided to reveal herself to everyone.

"My lady," said the nearby tavern wench and bowed humbly.

"I'm rather surprised to see you here. Though I suppose it explains why I didn't see you at Winterfell after coming back from see the Wall," remarked Tyrion with Catelyn fighting to hold back her glare before she composed herself.

In this moment, she saw the eyes of everyone on her with knights from different Houses watching intently. Some from House Frey. Some from Harrenhal. Many of them were from Houses sworn to her Father's House. All Catelyn would have to do is invoke her House name, accuse Tyrion Lannister of the crime against Bran, and order these men to arrest the man to await the King's Justice.

And yet, her mind had a moment of clarity. Tyrion Lannister was many things. Drunkard. Whoremonger. The son of a High Lord who spent his time spending his family's money on fine wine, loose woman, and books over everything else. Never once had the man's reputation in life revolved around assassin, killing others, or violence in general.

So she decided another approach.

"I had important business in King's Landing with my husband. An assassin attempted to end my second youngest son's life," said Catelyn with some of the people in the room gasping since to kill a child was truly a despicable thing.

"Seeing as I saw young Brandon walking about with a little help when at Winterfell, I can easily presume the assassin failed," said Tyrion with Catelyn nodding with many around them sighing in relief knowing House Stark had avoided something so horrible as losing a child.

"My son's dire wolf ripped the man's throat out," answered Catelyn while not wanting to give away the assassin (as far as she knew) was still in the Winterfell dungeons.

"A firm and righteous punishment for someone aiming to kill a young boy. Never let it be said the Gods don't deliver such things to the truly wicked," said Tyrion with a smile.

"If you would sit with us Lord Lannister, I feel we need to talk about some things," said Catelyn while Tyrion frowned a bit in confusion at what she wanted to talk about before shrugging and moved to sit by Ser Rodrik.

"Yoren, grab a chair and sit with us," said Tyrion after the shock of seeing Lady Stark in their midst.

"Yes my Lord," said Yoren before he walked over with a chair and sat down with them.

"Did you really see my son Brandon walking around?" asked Catelyn curiously.

"Yes. He walked right into the Main Hall as I was talking to your eldest son and Maester Luwin. Yoren here was a witness to the whole event," said Tyrion with Yoren nodding.

"Aye, the lad was being helped by a big fella and the Greyjoy lad. Lord Lannister even gave the boy a gift to ensure there won't be a second fall," said Yoren before explaining Tyrion's gift to Bran and how the boy loved it.

"Given the boy's current condition, I doubt he will be climbing anytime soon." said Ser Rodrik while seeing how nervous the Tully woman was regarding her son's desire to go climbing.

"Indeed. From what I can gather, the boy remembers nothing. Though Maester Luwin was no doubt trying to throw me off in the event I was the initial attacker. And now, there was second attempt on young Bran's life while I was at the Wall. Curious. I didn't think a boy so young could obtain such attention from an assassin or someone hiring them to end the life of a young future Lord," said Tyrion since he knew such assassins were expensive to pay given the target in question.

"The assassin used a unique weapon when he tried to kill my son. A dagger made with Valerian steel and has a dragon bone hilt. One of a kind," said Catelyn with Tyrion's eyes widening in shock.

"Do you still have it?" asked Tyrion with Catelyn shaking her head.

"I gave it to my husband when I was in King's Landing. We met with Lord Baelish and he told us how the dagger once belonged to him. But he wagered it on Prince Joffrey's last name day during a tournament," answered Catelyn with Tyrion nodding.

"Yes he did. I bet against him and won. My brother maybe one of the best knights in all of the Seven Kingdoms, but House Tyrell has the better jousters. I won the dagger from him fairly," answered Tyrion with Catelyn nodding.

"Did you bring it with you to Winterfell?" asked Catelyn with Tyrion nodding.

"I did, but it went missing sometime before we arrived. I couldn't find it. I was hoping to show it to your husband and get his opinion of the weapon given how the blade itself is Valerian steel," answered Tyrion while wondering who could have taken it to use against young Brandon.

"Who else knew you had the bloody thing?" asked Yoren with Tyrion thinking it over.

"My sibling of course. The King. The Hound. And my nephew Joffrey," answered Tyrion with Catelyn and Ser Rodrik not liking this.

"We can rule out the King. He wouldn't dare raise a hand or war hammer against one of Lord Stark's children," said Ser Rodrik with Catelyn nodding.

"The Hound wouldn't hire an assassin. Knowing that man, he would just fight his way into the room to do the deed himself," remarked Tyrion knowing the Hound would do the job himself.

"Would your siblings hire an assassin? Would either of them have the stomach do such a thing?" asked Yoren while Tyrion thought it over.

"My brother? No. He wouldn't hire an assassin. Being raised around knights, nobility, and honor would make the idea of hiring an assassin beneath him. He never felt hiring such people was the right way to do things. Now, my Father other hand, he would have hired someone, but the man is back at Casterly Rock without any knowledge of what happened to young Brandon. My sister however...she would entertain the idea. She always believed in the subtle, yet equally effective approach. Though I doubt she had the time to steal the dagger from my luggage. Being the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms also means being near the King where ever he goes during the day doing Kingly things. And when the Queen is not, she is usually around one of the Kingsguard for protection," said Tyrion knowing his sister well enough that she couldn't plan something like this right away.

She would seek out those who could.

"Which leaves...the Prince," said Ser Rodrik in a whispered tone so no one would hear them throughout the Inn.

"The Crown Prince? Why would Prince Joffrey do such a thing to Lord Stark's son?" asked Yoren with Tyrion frowning in thought.

"My nephew does what he wants simply because the fool thinks his title as Prince and future King allows him to do whatever he wants to begin with. Joffrey killed a pregnant cat in the belief it would please his Father. I can only imagine what the King might have said near him to instigate such an act," said Tyrion knowing the boy's head was filling with the kind of madness the Mad King during his reign.

"I owe Master Liang an apology. I was so focused on believing you or someone from your House was responsible for Brandon's suffering, I didn't see the truth," said Catelyn with Tyrion shrugging.

"You wouldn't be the first person to hate me simply for existing in this world Lady Stark. I get enough of that from my sister and my Father," said Tyrion sadly knowing those two were itching for the day when the Lannister name and gold couldn't protect him.

"What do we do now? We can't exactly go back to King's Landing and tell Lord Stark that the Crowned Prince himself might have actually had a hand in attempting to murder young Brandon" asked Ser Rodrik with the small group looking concerned.

"We should head East to the Vale," said Sub-Zero after making his presence known to them and scaring the group.

"Seven Hells man, do you have to do that?" asked Yoren, who had reached for his sword, but realized if the Grandmaster wanted them dead, he would have done it by now.

"Why do we need to go to the Vale?" asked Catelyn curiously.

"To see your sister. She has much to answer for in regards to her crimes," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn frowning.

"I can accept I was mistaken about Lord Tyrion hiring an assassin to kill my son, but the accusation of my sister being a conspirator in the murder of Jon Arryn is preposterous!" stated Catelyn with Sub-Zero unaffected by her glare.

"Is it? You haven't seen her for five years," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn scowling.

"He's not wrong. The woman has changed since you last saw her, Lady Stark," added Tyrion since he had seen the woman often when in King's Landing and saw the woman was not right in the head.

"Not to mention she did write the letter implicating House Lannister in the plot to kill Jon Arryn," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn frowning.

"Which when you think about it, is completely stupid! Why would House Lannister want to murder the Hand of the King? Much less someone like Lord Arryn? He was too well respected. Loved by all! Even my Father, for all his ruthlessness, respected the late Lord Hand. House Lannister gains nothing from Lord Arryn's death," said Tyrion with Catelyn not liking the idea that her own sister was possibly trying to help start a war between the Starks and the Lannisters.

"What about the other conspirators?" asked Catelyn knowing there were more.

"They have laid low long enough. Its time we make ripples in the water and make them stir to reveal themselves," answered Sub-Zero before looking at Tyrion.

"What? Why are you looking at me?" asked Tyrion curiously.

"Because _you_ are going to help us make the ripple my friend. You are coming with us...to the Vale," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion looking shocked.

"Why me?" asked Tyrion with a frown.

"Lysa Arryn has accused House Lannister of murdering her husband. Catelyn Stark also believes you had a hand in the attempted murder of her son. Naturally, Lady Stark would wish to bring you to Vale to see her sister as a prisoner, and to dispense the King's Justice upon the accused," replied Sub-Zero with Tyrion grimacing.

"I don't like the idea of being used as bait," said Tyrion with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I know. No one does. But this is necessary," said Sub-Zero before looking over at the others.

"What about me? I am heading to King's Landing to gather the prisoners in the dungeons to take back to the Night's Watch," said Yoren with Sub-Zero nodding.

"And you will. You will also visit Lord Stark and tell him what his wife has done. You will also tell him in secret that the trap is being set against the enemies of the Crown. He will understand. If not him, my student will know in his place. Also, I suggest when you leave here, you move with a purpose," said Sub-Zero with Yoren nodding.

"I will have to damn near kill my horse to get to King's Landing in record time, but I think I can get there to tell Lord Stark before the rest of the city knows what you are about to do," said Yoren with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Shall we?" asked Sub-Zero with Tyrion sighing before glancing up at him.

"I'm not going to regret this, am I?" asked Tyrion curiously.

"That depends," answered Sub-Zero.

"Depends on what?" asked Tyrion.

"It depends on whether you have your head placed on the execution block before this is over," answered Sub-Zero with a hint of humor in his voice.

All Tyrion could do was groan knowing he was going to regret this whole thing already.

(A/N: YAY! Another update. Hope you enjoyed it. GoT is coming to an end. Only a few more episodes left and so many have died as of episode 3. THAT WAS NUTS! So many people died that we didn't think would, but did! Until next time...PEACE!)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-Blood Spilled

"This information you have obtained, its incredible," said Ned after receiving written documentation from Jon in Ser Hugh's own handwriting.

"Indeed. Lord Baelish has put his fingers in many pigeon pies. And he has done it in a way that no one knows it. Or at least until it is too late to stop him," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"I have been doing some research of my own regarding the Lannister per Lord Baelish and his 'suggestion' that they may have been involved on the attack on my son. The book on House bloodlines, Robert's bastards, and even Bran's fall from the tower has revealed something interesting," said Ned while opening the book and showing the bloodline for House Baratheon.

"Black hair and blue eyes. All of them. Even when marrying women all from different Houses and had different colored hair," commented Jon while reading the contents of the book carefully.

"Up until Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen," added Ned with Jon making a noise.

"Odd. Given the history of House Baratheon, all three of them should have dark hair and blue eyes of a Baratheon," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"Instead, the hair is blonde and eyes green...like a Lannister," said Ned while Jon began to draw the same conclusion.

"Both parents are Lannisters. Not Lannister and Baratheon," concluded Jon after putting the two together with Ned now nodding.

"Meaning Cersei's three children are not Roberts. Not one drop of his blood flows in their veins," said Ned with Jon nodding.

"It also means that the Father is the only other Lannister around Cersei to be the Father of those three children," said Jon with Ned nodding since he came to the same conclusion.

"Jamie Lannister. He is their Father," commented Ned with Jon making a face.

"I thought only the Targaryens practiced such things with their House?" asked Jon with Ned flinching slightly at the mention of the dragon.

"The Targaryens? Yes. Lannisters? No. If Tywin finds out about this...if Robert were to find out about this...," said Ned while Jon grimaced.

"It would be a race to see who would kill Cersei, Jamie, and the three children first," said Jon knowing neither Tywin nor Robert would allow this hidden truth/slight against them to go unpunished.

"Meaning we have to figure how to reveal this and not cause all out bloodshed," said Ned with the truth being extremely damaging for House Lannister and for House Baratheon.

"You can't. One way or another, someone is going to die when the truth comes out," said Jon with Lord Stark sighing since it was true.

"Is Ser Hugh in a secure location?" asked Ned with Jon nodding.

"He is currently in a Lin Kuei safe house near the edge of the city and under close guard by some of the members there. I gave them orders to keep an eye on him and no one is to take him anywhere. At least until I personally come for him to bring to Robert to face his judgment," answered Jon with Ned nodding since the news of Ser Hugh being taken in secret for questioning needed to be heard and known by a select few.

"Good. Keep him there until we are ready to move against Lord Baelish and anyone else loyal to him or part of the conspiracy," said Ned with Jon nodding before a knock on the door and Jory entered soon after.

"My Lord, her Grace, the Queen is here," said Jory before moving further aside to let the Queen into the room, which she did in an almost demanding like manner when walking.

"You're missing the tournament," commented Cersei to Ned before eyeing Jon who was off to the side and wondered what they were conversing about.

"Just because the King put my name on the tournament doesn't make it mine. I was even against it given how deep the Crown is in debt to your Father _and_ the Iron Bank," replied Ned while Cersei raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise since that piece of information was unknown to her.

"I sensed there was still some hostility between our two families despite your time getting settled into the role as Hand. I thought we might be able to put what happened with that ugly business on the King's Road behind us. Remove the tension that has remained since the incident where our little fight involved dragging people from their beds in the middle of the night," said Cersei while discreetly looking at Ned's desk to see the table had both the book and dagger on it.

"Difficult to do when your son lied to the King and demanded my children be punished after catching him said lie," said Ned while Cersei grimaced since her son had felt he was allowed to lie to anyone and everyone regardless of who they were in life.

The Mad King thought the same way and helped breathed life into a rebellion that led to Robert sitting on the Iron Throne.

"True, but my husband has punished him accordingly and my son has learned his lesson about lying to others. How is Sansa?" said Cersei while deciding to change the subject.

"She likes it here," replied Ned, which was true enough.

"She seems to be the only Stark who does. Must be the Tully from her Mother's side," said Cersei with a disarming smile to lower someone's guard.

But Ned didn't feel like lowering his guard around her.

"What are you doing here your Grace?" asked Ned curiously.

"I could ask you the same thing about yourself. What do you and recently legitimized son hope to accomplish here while in King's Landing?" asked Cersei while again eyeing the book on Ned Stark's desk.

"The King called on me to serve him and the realm. He called on me to help him find out who _murdered_ Jon Arryn. Someone who was a Father to us. One of the few people left in this world who mattered to both Robert and myself on a deep personal level. I intend to protect the Seven Kingdoms as Lord Arryn did and bring his murderer to face the King's justice," said Ned with Cersei nodding in understanding since she would not tolerate the idea of someone murdering Jamie or her Father and walking around freely.

"Well regardless, you can't change him, you can't help him. Even with all your power the position as Hand gives you, Robert will do whatever he wants. Which is all he has ever done. All you can do is try to pick up the pieces," commented Cersei before glancing at Jon/Aegon.

"If that is what needs to be done as Hand of the King, so be it," said Ned knowing the task of keeping Robert's rule and the Seven Kingdoms intact was a difficult one.

"You are just a soldier, aren't you? You take your orders and carry on. Even when you know the orders are wrong or given to you by an incompetent man who outranks your own position. I suppose it makes sense since it was older brother who was trained to lead and you were trained to follow," commented Cersei in a backhanded insult to Ned's way of doing things.

"I have also been trained to kill my enemies your Grace," countered Ned with Cersei's smile increasing.

"So have I," said Cersei while Jon narrowed his eyes at her.

"We should be cautious with her. She's not the weak willed. If necessary, the Queen will conspire with others to have you killed," warned Jon while seeing how the Queen talked to Ned.

"And use someone like Lord Baelish to make it happen," said Ned since Baelish would enjoy doing it if the Queen gave the command fully knowing he would benefit from the woman being in his back pocket when favors were called in.

(Elsewhere-At the Moment)

"I wish it didn't come to this Tyrion," commented Sub-Zero while he, Tyrion, Catelyn, Ser Rodrik, and surprising the Sell Sword named Bronn rode on horseback to the Vale.

"I agree. But it can't be helped. Some matters need to be addressed and my innocence in this whole affair is one of them," remarked Tyrion knowing this was going to get messy real fast if Lysa Tully had her way.

"Indeed. But I would advise you not insult Lysa Arryn in the castle from which she rules over the Vale. I can only do so much against a small army of knights in a room full of them," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding.

"Keep dirty, yet funny jokes and insults to a minimum. I can do that," said Tyrion with a smirk.

"That's a shame. I like those kind of jokes," said Bronn casually.

"Why are you here Sell Sword? No one invited you," questioned Catelyn suspiciously.

"Simple. I can smell adventure. I can smell gold. This group here is full of both. Besides, I heard stories of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster over here being able to do some incredibly interesting things. I want to see if the stories are true," said Bronn since he knew saving the son of Tywin Lannister would get him in good graces with the old lion, even if he did despise his youngest son.

A Lannister was still a Lannister and saving one like Tyrion would most likely get Bronn some gold or favor from the old lion.

"You should turn back now. What we are doing could become increasingly dangerous," warned Catelyn while Bronn shrugged.

"Bigger the danger, the more gold I earn," replied Bronn casually.

"It will be difficult to collect if you die lad. Provided there is gold for you collect from this," commented Ser Rodrik with Bronn giving the older man a shrug.

"One way or another, I have a feeling someone will be paying me gold for my troubles," said Bronn knowing it could be this group, the Vale, or the Lannisters who pay him in the end.

It all depended on who opened up their money pouch first.

"Wait!" said Sub-Zero and raising a hand to make everyone stop.

"What is it?" asked Catelyn while looking around.

"We are not alone. We are surrounded on all sides," said Sub-Zero calmly while Ser Rodrik and Bronn drew their swords.

"Who?" asked Tyrion whole looking around.

"If I were to guess, it is the Hill Tribesmen that live in the Vale. Unlike those that live in the North, these are not the friendly kind," said Sub-Zero before he dismounted from his horse and gave it to Catelyn.

"What are you doing?" asked Catelyn while Sub-Zero walked away from her and the group.

"Giving them a clear shot at their target. My clan has been thinning their numbers in the past couple of years at the request of Lords of the Vale. I am too good a target to pass up at this point. On my signal. Flee on your horses and get to your sister. I will be along to assist you shortly once this is over," said Sub-Zero before he motioned them to quickly ride off to their intended destination.

"If he comes out of this alive," commented Bronn while riding off with the others.

Within moments of small group leaving did they come out of hiding. A large group. A little over sixty men and warrior women from the different Hill Tribes had come. Sub-Zero could only surmise they spotted their group by per chance and warned the others in the area. Not surprising. The Lin Kuei had been hired by some of the Lords of the Vale to help thin the ranks of the Hill Tribesmen in the area. In recent times, the tribes had been more aggressive and dangerous with their numbers becoming a threat the knights in the ability to challenge them.

So the Lin Kuei was hired to fix the issue. And they did. Now, all the Hill Tribesmen in this region were shadows of their former selves in terms of numbers.

"You lead the forest demons that killed so many of us these many past moons. You will pay for your crimes against us," said one of the Hill Tribesmen angrily.

"Perhaps if you didn't act live like wild animals and had some sense of civility, it would not have come to such things. But when people act like wild animals with no sense of morality, is it any reason they are slaughtered like animals?" said Sub-Zero with many of the Hill Tribesmen snarling at him.

"We will feast on your flesh. Obtain your rumored ice powers. We will become the most fierce warriors of this region," said another tribesman.

"Difficult to do when you are dead," said Sub-Zero coldly while reading himself for a fight.

As one, the Hill Tribesmen of the Vale charged Sub-Zero.

(Tower of the Hand)

"How is your son my Lord?" asked Lord Varys after knocking and approaching Ned Stark in his office.

"Fine Lord Varys. He is recovering slowly following the procedure the Grandmaster performed. My eldest son Robb informed me that Brandon is continuing his ability to walk again," said Ned with Varys nodding.

"And his mind is sound?" asked Varys with Ned nodding.

"He has strange dreams from time to time, but nothing children his age don't have when sleeping," said Ned while Varys smiled a friendly smile before shutting the door.

"A blessing then. I suffered a mutilation myself at a young age. Some doors closed, yet some unknown doors opened for me and in the most unexpected places. May I sit?" said Varys with Ned nodding.

"I heard the stories people said, but never pried. It wasn't my place and the nature of the subject is not something one talks about openly," said Ned with Varys nodding and was clearly pleased to have met one person who didn't tease or ridicule him about the loss of his man bits.

"Indeed. Just as if the wrong ears heard what I am about to tell you, off comes my head. And who would mourn for Lord Varys then? The Grandmaster perhaps, but he is the only one. North, South, East, or the West, no one would sing songs for the Spider upon my death. But there are things you must know. You are the King's Hand and sadly the King is a. Your friend I know, but a fool. One who is doomed unless you can save him from his enemies waiting for the day he dies in some spectacular way befitting his lifestyle," said Varys with Ned nodding.

"I won't deny Robert has become a shadow of his former self. I imagine it would be worse if my sister had died. But why come to me now as a friend when I have been at the Capital for over a month?" asked Ned since he knew Varys worked with the Lin Kuei from time to time, but during his time as Hand, the Spider kept his distance.

"Because I didn't trust you. Yes, you have the Lin Kuei on our side to some degree, but a man in my position cannot simply trust others so blindly. Especially in a city such as this where treachery and deception is everywhere," said Varys with Ned nodding since he had seen such things in the Capital.

"What sort of doom does the King face?" asked Ned curiously.

"The same shadowy doom that befell Jon Arryn. There are those within the Capital who do not want the peace to last. They want war. They want bloodshed. They want some of the strongest Houses in all the Seven Kingdoms brought low to the point of annihilation in order to pave way for their rise to new heights of power," said Varys with concern on his face and in his voice.

"Who?" asked Ned with Varys giving him a knowing look.

"I think you know who I am referring to my friend. The same man who conspired with others to kill Jon Arryn in the first place. The same man who has used his understanding of numbers to financially cripple the Crown. The same man who envies you for having the woman of his dreams. The same man who came from nothing like myself, but wants more without a care in the world on who or what he destroys to get what his heart desires. This man wants the Iron Throne. This man wants your wife as his Queen. This man wants your wife to give him children while wanting the ones she has with you to be wiped out," said Varys with Ned growling.

"Lord Baelish," said Ned with Varys nodding.

"The one who gains the most from everyone else's losses," said Varys with Ned's growl getting louder.

"And used Ser Hugh to procure the poison. Had he participated in the tourney, I have no doubt the man would have died," remarked Ned with Varys shrugging.

"Pity what happened to him. Whether he was removed in secret or fled to wherever a man like him may have fled. And just when his life seemed to be going so well following his Lord's death," commented Varys while knowing it was a certain Lin Kuei in training who took the Vale knight, but decided not to reveal that he did in fact know.

"What I don't understand, is why would Lord Baelish risk such a thing? To bring about so much death. And to kill the Hand of the King of all people. Such an act is almost similar as attempting to kill the King himself. And even with his conspirators, surely some of the people involved felt his ambitions to seek the Iron Throne were overreaching. Yet they aided in Jon Arryn's death anyway. Why?" questioned Ned with Varys leaning forward.

"Because Jon Arryn was doing what you are doing now my new friend. He started asking questions. The kind where certain people don't want the answers revealed and go to _any length_ to ensure they never see the light of day," replied Varys with Ned looking down at the table to see the dagger that had been used to nearly end his son's life.

He knew all too well what certain secrets could do if revealed to everyone.

(Small Council Chambers-Several Days Later)

Ned walked with a purpose to see Robert. The time had finally come to spring the trap on Lord Baelish. Yeon from the Night's Watch had visited him in office after Arya had been found talking about how she heard two people talking about a potential war between the wolf and the lion. Though it was clear her hearing of the conversation was muffled, Jon had been one to decipher its meaning, and even more so when Yeon had told him the Grandmaster's message. Ser Hugh was carefully tucked away, Lysa Arryn would soon be brought into the light as a conspirator, and finally Lord Baelish himself being the one to spearheaded the plot to murder Jon Arryn.

Unfortunately, the meeting he wanted with Robert was delayed due to a Small Council meeting ordered by Robert himself due to Varys receiving some news about Daenerys Targaryen over in Essos.

"The whore is pregnant," said Robert while Ned knew of the woman he was speaking of and it was not one from the brothels the King liked to visit.

"You're speaking of murdering a child. And the woman carrying it," reminded Ned with Robert's anger growing.

"I warned you this would happen. Back in the North. I warned you what would happen with the girl and the Dothraki. But you didn't care to listen. Well, listen now. I want them dead! Mother and child both! And that fool Viserys with them for good measure. Is that plain enough for you? I want them both dead!" declared Robert with Ned not liking this one bit.

"You dishonor yourself if you do this," said Ned in the hope it would deter Robert.

"Honor? I have Seven Kingdoms to rule. One King. Seven Kingdoms! Do you think it is honor that keeps all Seven in line? No! Its fear. Fear and blood!" exclaimed Robert with his anger rising further.

"Then we're no better than the Mad King himself," said Ned with Robert looking even more enraged.

"Careful now Ned. Careful," warned Robert knowing they were crossing dangerous waters in terms of words that could not be taken back..

"It is you who should be careful. You are talking about assassinating a girl. And all for what? A rumor? Because the Spider heard a whisper from one of his little birds?" asked Ned while glaring at Varys for what he felt was a betrayal of trust between them.

"It is no rumor my Lord. The Targaryen Princess is with child. Khal Drogo is the Father," replied Varys firmly.

"Based on whose information?" asked Ned since he wanted confirmation from a reliable source and not one of the Spider's little birds.

"Ser Jorah of House Mormont. In exchange for a Royal Pardon, the man has agreed to spy on the two remaining Targaryens for us," said Varys with Ned narrowing his eyes on him.

"You accept his word? A word of a traitor?" questioned Ned before looking at Robert in the hopes the man would rethink his position on this.

"Regardless of his dishonor and your own disgust for his past actions, the information provided is no less accurate. My other little birds in Essos have confirmed what the man told me just to be sure," said Varys with Ned looking increasingly uncomfortable with this situation.

"And when she gives birth? Has a son? An Heir to contest my rule as King? A son with dragon's blood leading a Dothraki army?! What then?" demanded Robert with Ned trying to keep his temper in check.

"The Narrow Sea still lies between us and them. I'll fear the Dothraki when they teach their horses to run on water," said Ned with Robert looking at him in shock and anger.

"That's your answer? To do nothing?! That is your advise? To wait until the enemy is on our shores and burning down homes? You're my Council. Council this honorable fool!" commanded Robert angrily.

And so they did. Each one from Varys to Littlefinger expressed the decision to kill the Targaryen Princess before she gave birth to a son that would possibly lead a Dothraki Horde across the Narrow Sea. They knew if this did happen, many of them would either be too old or dead to do anything about it.

"I followed you into war. Not once, but twice! Without question. Without doubt. But I will not follow you now. The Robert Baratheon I grew up with did not tremble in the shadow of an unborn child. Or its Mother," said Ned with Robert looking ready to let his rage explode.

"She dies," said Robert with his tone signifying his decision was final.

"I will have no part in this," countered Ned with a sense of finality in his own voice.

"You are Hand of the King and you will do as your King commands of you Lord Stark. Or else I will find myself a Hand who can and will," replied Robert with the threat clear as day.

"Good luck to him when he is found. Maybe he can do what I could not and turn you into a better man like Jon Arryn tried to do before it happens," said Ned before taking off the Hand of King pendant on his chest and slamming it down on the table to signify he was willing to leave Robert if it came down to it.

"Out. Out! Damn you! I'm done with you! Go back to Winterfell and freeze your ass and balls off for all I care. I'll have your head on a spike! I'll put it there myself you honorable fool!" bellowed Robert angrily while Ned motioned for Jon to follow.

And both ignoring the ranting of the angry King.

"What now?" asked Jon knowing the way the King was acting, it would be impossible to prevent evidence of Lord Baelish's treasonous actions.

"We're leaving King's Landing. I should have never agreed to come this far South. If Robert wants to drown himself in wine and bedding loose women when he's not pissing in fear of a yet unborn child, let him. My place is in the North. Should the day come when Robert snaps out of his sense of fear and listens to reason, I will answer the call. But as things are, it would be a fool's errand," said Ned while ordering Jory to get the girls and prepare everyone to leave.

And no sooner did the man leave did Lord Baelish walk in with a smirk on his face.

"His Grace talked quite a bit about you after leaving the room. Talk of treason, killing you, and head on a spike. The usual things a man like that says about another when angry at them. I must admit, it was quite the dramatic display of honor and courage befitting someone of House Stark. Especially when standing up to the King after he gave such a grisly order to have the Targaryen woman and her child killed. Men will sing tales of it to be sure should word reach the bards and minstrels singing in the streets," said Petyr with Ned glaring at him for a second.

"Why are you here Lord Baelish?" asked Ned while packing.

"I wishes to know when you depart for Winterfell," answered Petyr with Ned focusing on him fully.

"Why?" asked Ned while Petyr's smile grew.

"If you are still here come nightfall, I will take you to the last person Jon Arryn spoke to before falling ill. If that sort of thing still interests you, that is," replied Petyr with Ned narrowing his eyes.

"And where is this person located?" asked Jon while Petyr's lip twitched since he was not expecting he person in the room with him to say such a thing.

"It is best you see for yourself. Strictly speaking, it would not do well to say much with Varys and his little birds hovering around," said Petyr with his smirk returning before he bowed and left.

"He's up to something. You should refuse. Besides, we already have what we need for punishing the guilty," said Jon with Ned frowning.

"I know. But even still, a little more evidence against other guilty parties couldn't hurt. Besides, I won't be long. You shouldn't go with me to where Littlefinger wants us to go. The last time I followed him, it was to a brothel he owned," said Ned with Jon grimacing at that information.

"The former Hand of the King entering a brothel. If such a thing got out, it would ruin your own credibility as a Stark," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"And you being the student of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. While we both know Master Liang trusts you, the people will act differently when spreading gossip," said Ned with Jon nodding since gossip muddy the truth with lies and thus created rumors.

'I won't go into the brothel, but it doesn't mean I cannot watch things from a distance in case something happens. And something tells me, an even will happen,' thought Jon with his instincts, honed from years of training, were guiding him to do what he needed to do in this situation.

(The Eyrie-Sometime Later)

They arrived shortly with a group of Vale knights meeting and escorting Catelyn's group to the seemingly impregnable fortress where House Arryn ruled over the Vale. Naturally, the knights were not happy to see Tyrion. Nor was Lysa and Catelyn was still surprised to see her sister had indeed changed since the last time they saw each other. Lysa was not friendly with Catelyn when they met. Not in the slightest. And not just because Tyrion was with her.

When inquiring on why she was here with the short statured Lannister, Catelyn replied that Tyrion was traveling to King's Landing when the two met. After they did, an issue came up that required they come to Lysa at the Eyrie, and were attacked in an ambush by the Hill Tribesmen in the area. It was only due to the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei did they manage to escape.

"How dare you bring him here. And without my permission. You pollute my home with his very _presence_. Your aunt has done a very bad thing Robin. A very bad thing. You do remember her, don't you? Isn't my son beautiful? And strong too. Jon knew it. His last words were 'the seed is strong'. He wanted everyone to know what a good strong boy his son would grow up to be, even in his final moments. And look at him! The new Lord of the Vale!" praised Lysa while her son breastfed right in front of their guests, which was a disturbing thing for the group to see at this point.

"Lysa, I must request a patrol of Vale knights head along the road we took in search of our final companion on this journey. Master Kuai Liang held off a large group of Hill tribesmen so we could get here. I fear what they will do to him to his remains should they succeed in killing him in that region," said Catelyn while Lysa didn't seemed moved in the slightest by her words though some Lords of the Vale were murmuring to each other.

"Mommy, is that a bad man?" asked Robin with a dimwitted look on his face while trying to talk and feed from his Mother's breast at the same time.

"Yes Robin. He is a bad man," said Lysa while petting her son.

"He's little," said Robin while Tyrion ignored the jab at his height since many have been jabbing at him for being a dwarf for years.

"He is Tyrion of House Lannister. He was the one who murdered your loving Father. He murdered the Hand of the King!" exclaimed Lysa loudly for all to hear so people would hate the man more.

"Tyrion Lannister could not have murdered your husband and that is not why we are here," said Catelyn while Lysa looked even angrier at her own sister defending the lion from her wrath.

Her true love, Petyr Baelish, had wanted House Lannister to start a war with House Tully, and House Stark as a result. Which didn't really bother Lysa at all. Why would it? She would do anything her love commanded in order to make him happy. Besides, she had no love for her Father or sister. One made her marry an old man, who was old enough to be her Father. The second one got to have a happy marriage with someone close to her age and had five healthy children as a result. It was unfair and could only tolerate so much in life before an opportunity came to reverse her fortunes.

She hated everyone and everything that stood in the way of her love and her happiness by extension since his wish was Lysa's command.

"Ser Vardis, my sister's _small_ companion for a guest is weary. Take him down below so he can rest. In fact, introduce him to Mord," ordered Lysa with a cruel smile on her face.

"Lysa, this is wrong. Tyrion did not kill your husband. He couldn't and wouldn't do such a thing!" protested Catelyn while Lysa scowled at her.

"Even if what you say is true dear sister, he is a Lannister, and guilty just for being one of them. I rule the Vale and as such, I say the Imp must pay the debt his House owes mine!" stated Lysa while glaring at Tyrion being taken away to the cells below.

'She has truly lost her mind,' thought Catelyn while finally seeing what people had been warning her about since traveling to the Vale.

"And as for your lost companion sister, I will have a group of knights search for him. I do pray to the Gods that he is still alive. The Hill Tribesmen can be quite cruel and ruthless to those who earn their wrath," said Lysa while having other plans for the group she sent out to find the Lin Kuei warrior.

(King's Landing-Sometime Later)

Ned was with his three best men at Littlefinger's brothel. Sure enough, the last person Jon Arryn saw was a whore from the brothel, who had been with the King, and had a child as proof of their union. The woman in question swore to Ned that the child was the King's due to being with no one else. Ned agreed since the girl clearly had Robert's features in terms of hair and eyes and even nose. As for the Mother of the child, she didn't wish for any jewels or gold since the child was worth more to her than all of those things. When Ned inquired about Jon Arryn, the woman merely told Lord Stark about how his late predecessor had asked if the girl was happy and healthy. Which she clearly was from what Ned could see and felt a pull from the past when Lyanna had been pregnant in the Tower of Joy with Jon/Aegon being brought into the world.

Ned knew this child, if not all of them, needed to be protected from outside forces who may wish them harm simply because they were Robert's progeny. Illegitimate progeny, but still his children nonetheless. He would have to speak to the Robert, Renly, and even Stannis if possible about taking them in to foster to one day legitimize as Baratheons.

Unfortunately, no sooner had they left the brothel, Lannister men led by Jamie Lannister on horseback had arrived. Clearly outnumbering the Stark men and Jamie clearly looking smug about it.

"Such a small pack of wolves," commented Jamie before getting off his horse.

"Stay back Ser. This is the Hand of the King," warned Jory with Jamie not looking the least bit intimidated.

"He _was_ Hand of the King. Now I'm not so sure what he is right now. Ah yes, the Lord of somewhere very far away. So far away that his men would never be able to reach him in time if something were to be fall his person in this very place," remarked Jamie with Ned not looking intimidated either.

"What is the meaning of this Lannister?" asked Baelish, who chose at this moment to make himself known and looked quite displeased.

Conflicts outside of his brothels was bad for business and his coin purse.

"Go back inside where it is safe. I am here looking for my little brother. You remember my brother, don't you Lord Stark? He has blonde hair, a sharp tongue, short in physical stature," said Jamie while Ned nodded.

"I remember him well. Out of all the Lannisters I have had the pleasure of meeting, I did like him the best," said Ned while Jamie took the insult in stride.

"It seems he had some trouble on the road here after a brief encounter with your Tully of a wife. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" asked Jamie with Ned being silent for a moment.

"Whatever she has done, it was done on my command. We had questions that needed to be answered. It was required that Lord Tyrion come with my wife to seek them out," said Ned while Jamie didn't like his answer and drew his sword and the others did the same.

"My Lords! I will bring the City Watch!" warned Lord Baelish before heading inside.

"Draw your sword Lord Stark. I prefer to end your life with a blade in hand," commented Jamie with Jory stepping in front of him.

"If you threaten my Lord again, you will regret it Ser," warned Jory while Jamie's grin increased.

"Threaten? As in I am going to cut your Lord open from balls to brains and see just what Starks are made of? That kind of threaten?" asked Jamie while Ned glared.

"If you kill me, your brother is a dead man," warned Ned while Jamie thought it over.

"You something Lord Stark? You are right. Keep him alive. Kill his men," replied Jamie with Ned drawing his sword.

Two Lannister men were going to throw spears, but were struck down from above by arrows from the rooftops by a lone archer. Taken by surprise, several of the Lannister men were unprepared for the sudden attack by the Stark men in front of them and were cut down. Jory was currently fighting several men at once while Ned was clashing with Jamie in a sword fight of their own after Ned killed several Lannister men who charged him. The single archer up above was easily picking his targets to lessen the ranks of the Lannister men until only a small group remained with Jamie Lannister and Ned Stark in the middle.

With his side clearly on the verge of losing the fight, Jamie used the last of his strength to push Ned Stark back, cutting deep into the Northerner's arm. But the result cost him too, as Ned's sword managed to land a deep cut on Jamie's face, which would no doubt need some fine stitching to make it heal properly. Still, seeing his opportunity to escape, the Lannister leaped onto his horse and fled. The remaining Lannister men all trying to do the same, but were taken down by the solo archer before they could.

Looking up, Ned easily recognized the shadowy figure as Jon, who had decided to stay nearby, but not too close as to get people to spread ugly rumors about him.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Ned while his men nodded.

"Yes my Lord. What about you?" asked Jory with Ned waving his concern off despite the injury on his arm.

"I'm fine. There is no question Jamie Lannister is a good swordsman, but I have fought better," said Ned while breathing somewhat heavily from the fight and blocking out the pain from his injury.

He needed to talk to Robert and soon. Preferably after getting his injury healed.

(The Eyrie-Sometime Later)

It had been quite sometime since Tyrion Lannister found himself in the prison cell of the Eyrie, which was new experience for him. A prison with three walls and the spot where the fourth one should be located was open to the view of land far below. Any attempt to flee out this open space would sign his own death warrant since he was so high up. Not to mention the cell was in a slanted position so there was an increased chance of someone in the cell falling to their death.

Nasty thought.

So after much thinking, Tyrion decided he would do what he did best in these situations when the odds were stacked against him.

He would talk his way out.

So after getting the dimwitted Mord to send a message to Lady Lysa, the Imp of House Lannister soon found himself back in the main "throne room" of the castle. Surrounded by Lords and Knights of the Vale, plus one sell sword named Bronn, and one Lady of House Stark. The last one was clearly concerned for his welfare at this point given how none of her attempts to convince Lysa to free Tyrion had worked.

"You are here to address your crimes. Is that correct?" asked Lysa while glaring down at Tyrion.

"That is correct Lady Arryn," said Tyrion while Lysa's eyes narrowed further.

"Proceed. Confess to your crimes before everyone here," commanded Lysa while she was wondering why Tyrion would confess to killing her husband when she knew it he didn't commit the act.

So Tyrion being Tyrion confessed to the many crimes he committed...as a young boy in his youth when growing up. Some were harmless. Some were...questionable. Some of the others mentioned were disgusting to a degree. And some made a few knights and one sell sword laugh...discreetly of course.

But not once did he confess to the crime of killing Jon Arryn.

"And that particular incident would be the last one," finished Tyrion with Lysa looking even angrier.

"And what about your crime against my husband? Your crime of murdering the Hand of the King?" demanded Lysa with Tyrion looking confused.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't do anything to him," said Tyrion while Lysa looked irate.

"You came here to confess to your crime against my husband. Not your childish antics from the past!" stated Lysa with Tyrion shrugging. 

"Well considering I haven't committed any crimes against your late husband, I will be on my merry way...once these chains are removed," said Tyrion with Lysa gritting her teeth.

"And you shall be leaving on your way...through the Moon Door," said Lysa while the Moon Door was opened.

"Is this how justice is done in the Vale? How you perform the King's Justice? I have been charged with a crime with no evidence outside of the accusation made on the word of this woman here. I deny this crime and she throws me into a cell regardless. I have a right to a trial!" stated Tyrion with many of Lords and knights agreeing since that was right way to do things.

"You have that right. But know that your fate will be decided by Robin. And his decision will be final with your leave being one way...or another," said Lysa before she glanced at the Moon Door to signify the "or another" to Tyrion.

"No need to bother young Robin. I demand a trial by combat," said Tyrion while Lysa was irritated and confused.

"Again, you have that right," remarked Lysa while seeing no one was willing to fight for Tyrion.

"Make the bad man fly!" demanded Robin impatiently.

"Ser Vardis, you are being awfully quiet. Don't you wish to avenge my husband?" asked Lysa while the knight in question nodded.

"With all my heart, my Lady. But the imp is literally half my size. Shameful to kill such a man and call it justice," said Ser Vardis with a smirk and several of the knights and Lords laughed.

"Agreed," said Tyrion while ignoring the shot at his size.

"You demanded a trial by combat Lord Tyrion," said Lysa with Tyrion nodding.

"And now I demand a champion. I have the right, same as you," said Tyrion while Lysa was getting more impatient with him.

"I'll gladly fight the imps champion for you my Lady," said Ser Vardis since he was one of the better knights in the Vale.

"I wouldn't be too glad Ser. I name my brother, Jamie Lannister," said Tyrion while many were shocked and talking among themselves.

"The Kingslayer hundreds of miles away from here," commented Lysa while Tyrion did not look worried.

"Send a raven for him. I can wait," said Tyrion with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"No! The trial will be today," said Lysa with Tyrion's smile turning into a frown.

"Do I have a volunteer?" asked Tyrion with several knights laughing since they knew the Imp didn't have a chance on his own and no one here wanted to be his champion.

"I volunteer to be your champion," said the cold chilling voice of Sub-Zero after he had pushed the doors open leading into the room and walked in with bloodied Vale knight being dragged behind him.

"What madness is this?!" asked Lysa angrily with Sub-Zero throwing the Vale knight forward until the injured man was near the Moon Door.

"This knight and several with him were sent to find me to see if I had survived my fight with the Hill Tribesmen who nearly ambushed your sister while on her way here. Only, as soon as they arrived and saw I was unharmed, they attacked me," said Sub-Zero with the Lords of the Vale and several knights looking at him in shock.

While he was an assassin and leader of a clan of assassins, Sub-Zero had made it clear to all those who met him that there were rules that his clan would not cross. Namely killing innocent men, women, and children. Some Lords of the Vale had even met Sub-Zero five years ago when they went with Lysa Arryn to celebrate her Father's nameday. They had come to respect the man, his skills, and his morals when it came to his profession since there were few who did have morals when it came to drawing a blade against someone in the shadows. Jon Arryn had even shown respect for Sub-Zero and his clan since they had helped with the Greyjoy Rebellion when Balon Greyjoy chose to make himself a Kraken King.

Holster Tully was also grateful when the Lin Kuei Grandmaster had prevented him from being poisoned on his nameday and gave him a small chest of gold to show his thanks.

To hear some of the knights of the Vale would openly attack him after vanquishing a large group of Hill Tribesmen was shocking to them.

"Lies! I sent those men bring you back alive. And you dare attack them?! And come in here to defend the Imp?! I will not have it!" stated Lysa angrily, but inside she was scared that he found out about her ordering the knights to kill him.

Her true love, Lord Baelish, had even said the Lin Kuei and its Grandmaster were a threat to his plans, to her, to Robin, and ultimately to himself. She had hoped to kill the man and make Petyr happy so he would be with her over that of Catelyn.

"Really? That's what he told me," said Sub-Zero pointing to the beaten Vale knight while walking further into the room with his armored clothing being stained in blood.

"And what did he tell you?" asked Catelyn while Lysa shot her a dirty look and Robin was looking on curiously.

"He had orders. Orders given to him by Lysa Arryn herself to find me by searching the area where the Hill Tribesmen were about to ambush us. When they saw I was alive and well, they charged me on their horses with swords and spears drawn," said Sub-Zero with Lysa grit her teeth.

"Perhaps they saw you from a distance and assumed you were a Hill Tribesman yourself before they attacked," offered Lysa while Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes at her.

"That is highly unlikely. The knight in question lying there is Ser Kardon. He met me at Holster Tully's nameday five years ago. I was talking with Lord Royce during the feast about the Lin Kuei since he wanted to know more about my clan and if we had any kind of honorable code to keep us from crossing lines of morality," said Sub-Zero with Lord Royce nodding since he remembered that conversation and those around them when they had it.

"Even still, there is no proof Ser Kardon or his knights attacked you on my command. And to speak such accusations without proof will not be tolerated," said Lysa Arryn with Sub-Zero looking at her with more intensity.

"Why not ask the knight himself? Here and now? Surely a knight from the Vale would not lie in front of so many Lords, Knights and Ladies of the Vale. Especially if he swore in the name of the Old Gods and the New that his words were truthful," said Sub-Zero with Lysa looking a tad uneasy since the Knights of the Vale were considered among the most honest knights in all the Seven Kingdoms.

"You cannot expect us to ask this man such a thing after the beating you no doubt gave him? He must be healed before anything from Ser Kardon can be said," said Lysa while trying to stall for time to deal with this knight before he exposed her actions to the others.

"That is fine with me. In the meantime, I will be Tyrion's champion in this little farce you have created here today," said Sub-Zero while stepping forward and glaring at Ser Vardis with cold eyes.

Several knights helped Ser Kardon up and take him to a Maester to attend to the man's injuries while several Lords of the Vale made a mental note to speak to the man after this was over before Lysa could. They knew Sub-Zero was an assassin, but also had his honor despite being one, and knew the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei would not have said those things earlier unless it was true.

"You shouldn't have chosen to defend the Lannister Imp. He is not worth protecting from someone with honor like yourself if the stories are indeed true," said Ser Vardis, who was now wearing armor covering his entire body while holding a sword and shield in hand.

"I will decide who is worth protecting. You should be more worried about your own life, Ser Vardis," said Sub-Zero before making a sword completely out of ice to the shock of some of the people in the room.

"FIGHT!" yelled Robin with excitement in his eyes since he had heard stories of Sub-Zero and wanted to see if some of them were true.

Ser Vardis attacked first. He was intent on controlling and winning the battle quickly in Lady Lysa's name in order to avenge Jon Arryn. The knight of the Vale believed that his superior sword skills and using his shield could defend himself from anything offensive Sub-Zero hit him with.

He was mistaken.

Sub-Zero had fought Tarkatan demons, Shokan warriors, powerful sorcerers, cyberized Lin Kuei, demon specters, and much worse than this knight of the Vale. As such, it was child's play to avoid the sword swings Ser Vardis launched at him. Sliding away on the ice he made with his feet, dodging the sword attacks, and shield thrusts to knock the Lin Kuei warrior off his feet. After several minutes of seeing the Vale knights tactics in the way of fighting, Sub-Zero decided to go on the offensive. Sliding forward in a sudden surprise move, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster smashed his fist into the knight's shield with such force that it shattered on impact.

Much to shock over everyone watching.

Ser Vardis was sent flying backwards, hitting a wall with only his armor preventing any harmful injury on his person. When the man got up, albeit slowly, Sub-Zero was already upon him, and the knight of the Vale weakly swung his sword wide and slow. A move, which Sub-Zero easily blocked with his ice sword before delivering an elbow to Ser Vardis's armored face. It was followed up by the Lin Kuei warrior grabbing the front of the Vale knight's armor and threw him one handed across he room. Ser Vardis struggled to get up, barely holding onto his own sword despite his injuries, and tried to attack Sub-Zero once more.

Only for the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to duck under the swing, cut the tendons in the sword arm of his foe after it pierced the armor. Ser Vardis tried to use his other arm to at least try to land a punch on his opponent, but Sub-Zero caught the fist with ease, and broken the arm at the elbow. Sub-Zero proceeded to slash through Ser Vardis's armor to the point where the man fell to his knees in pain.

"Stop! Stop this at once!" commanded Lysa while Sub-Zero glanced at her before he let his ice sword dissolve.

"We can't. According to the rules in a Trial by Combat, there can be only one person alive at the end," said Sub-Zero with Lysa glanced at Ser Vardis while gritting her teeth in anger since she was losing a valuable knight.

"Very well. Finish it," said Lysa at last while Sub-Zero nodded before turning to face the slowly dying knight.

Before freezing him below the waist and the arms at the elbow. Many thought Sub-Zero was going to have the man freeze to death, but were shocked when he stopped half way. After he stopped, the man walked over to Ser Vardis, grabbed him by the throat under the helmet, and lifted the upper half off in a violent display of death.

Many gasped in shock and even more so when Sub-Zero sent the half of Ser Vardis in his hand through the Moon Door to the depths below it.

"Is it over?" asked Robin with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Fatality," whispered Sub-Zero, but his voice echoed throughout the room.

"That's an interesting choice for a word that basically says I killed someone violently and without mercy," commented Bronn, as he looked at the frozen lower half of the man for a second, and shivered in fear knowing that could be him if he pissed off the Grandmaster.

"So the little man isn't going to fly?" asked Robin while Tyrion was being unchained by Mord.

"Not this little man. This little man is going home," said Tyrion before he was given his coin pouch and gave it to Mord to pay his debt to the man.

He offered to give some to Sub-Zero, but the man declined since this was what he called a "freebee" so Tyrion wouldn't be in his debt.

"You better go with him. Something tells he'll be needing your services soon," said Sub-Zero to Bronn, who nodded before following after the young Lannister.

"You don't fight with honor," stated Lysa angrily while Sub-Zero looked back at her with deadly cold eyes.

"Says the woman who helped Lord Baelish kill her husband," countered Sub-Zero while the rest of the room gasped when they heard this.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I will have your head!" exclaimed Lysa in all her anger, but fear as well.

"Unlikely. I have proof of your actions. Proof you conspired with Baelish to start a war between House Stark and House Lannister," said Sub-Zero while Lysa glared hatefully at him.

"Lies! All lies! Take him away! Now!" exclaimed Lysa with a hint of fear in her voice.

"My agents have Ser Hugh of the Vale. You remember Ser Hugh, right Lady Lysa? He was Jon Arryn's squire until your husband's death. Does anyone here find it strange that a man such as him was suddenly given a title as a knight? Along with some fancy armor he could never afford on his own?" said Sub-Zero since Jon and Varys had been helpful in providing information about Ser Hugh.

"You kidnapping Ser Hugh means nothing. It proves nothing! If anything, I could have you arrested for the kidnapping of a Vale Knight without reason or purpose," countered Lysa angrily.

"That so called 'Vale Knight' implicated you as the one who poisoned Lord Arryn that fateful day. He also explained why you did it and who you did it for since such an act did not come from your mind," said Sub-Zero while the Lords of the Vale listened intently to what the man had to say.

"Seize him! Seize him now!" commanded Lysa with fear in her voice and in her eyes.

"Why? Afraid I will reveal the name of the chief conspirator? One Lord Petyr Baelish? The Master of Coin on the Small Council?" asked Sub-Zero with Lysa looking at him in anger and fear.

"Silence! I will not tolerate you dishonoring Lord Baelish in my presence!" exclaimed Lysa with her voice almost making her sound hysterical.

"Even if he murdered your husband? Lord Baelish bought the poison, the Tears of Lys, which killed Lord Arryn. He gave it to Ser Hugh, who in turn gave it to you during his remaining days as a squire. Once the poison was in your possession, you put it in his food and drink since only a few drops were required. As he fell ill, Grand Maester Pycelle was tasked with ensuring the poison ran its course, and to ensure no one else could possibly treat him," said Sub-Zero while Lysa's fear of him increased.

"You speak lies and false accusations. None of this is true! None of it!" exclaimed Lysa with her voice now becoming more hysterical.

"Oh? So it isn't true that Lord Arryn wanted Robin here to be fostered to another family? Someone like Stannis Baratheon or even Tywin Lannister? Both men could have helped mold Robin into a man worthy of the Vale. Yet you wouldn't let either one foster him and had Jon killed before fleeing the Capital in defiance of King Robert," said Sub-Zero with Lysa glaring hatefully at him because it was true and it made her look bad in front of the other Lords of the Vale.

"Robin is my son. My treasure. No one is allowed to have him. Not the Stag or the Lion. Nor the Wolf or anyone else! Robin is mine! Mine! Do you hear me?! MINE!" stated Lysa with her madness becoming apparent to everyone in the room.

"And when Petyr Baelish came and offered you a means to remove Jon Arryn to prevent such a thing, you took it without question. The false accusation you sent to Catelyn Stark about the Lannisters being responsible was just another means to hide your actions from everyone who truly loved that man," concluded Sub-Zero with Lysa breathing heavily at the accusation and the pressure from being called out on her actions.

Until finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Her mind snapped!

"Of course I took it! Jon wanted me to give up my son to Stannis and possibly never see him again until he was a man. My sweet innocent Robin, changed, molded to be some cold, hard man, and with no love for his Mother. Me! The one who brought him into the world. Lord Baelish offered me a means to remove my so called husband and I took it because my son is special. Precious. So I did the only thing I could do. I removed him from my life," confessed Lysa harshly, as if it was the right thing to do, and was justified in her decision.

"And the reason Robin is precious to you is because the boy is Petyr Baelish's son. Not Jon Arryn's," added Sub-Zero while many gasped at the accusation.

"W-What? What did you say?" asked Lysa in shock.

"Why else would you have acted so strongly against Robin being fostered away? If the boy was truly Jon Arryn's son, you wouldn't have cared. But I have been around since the time of the Mad King and I know you were in love with Petyr Baelish during that time. In fact, you still are in love with the man. I have had many lengthy conversations with Jon Arryn, in person, during his younger years, and I see _nothing_ of the man in your son. Not in features or personality. Petyr Baelish on the other hand? I see the same sickly boy all those years ago who challenged Brandon Stark to a duel and lost," said Sub-Zero while the Lords of the Vale who knew Jon Arryn in his youth were looking at young Robin and _really_ looking at him.

And saw the same thing Sub-Zero did.

"Enough! I will not tolerate your lies! Seize him now! I command it!" exclaimed Lysa while no one moved to obey the command.

"Why would they obey you? You just admitted poisoning your own husband. Their Lord. They are also now beginning to question whether or not Robin is his son and if you have conspired with Lord Baelish to perform bloodline theft of the Vale," commented Sub-Zero with Lysa going pale in the face sine she did openly admit to killing her husband on Petyr Baelish's command.

She had been so angry at the accusations aimed at her and the mounting evidence, Lysa had hoped her outburst would shut him up. Unfortunately, she didn't realize the words spoken would be turned against her until it was too late. Lysa was hoping her words and authority would inspire fear in the Lords of the Vale to obey or face certain death. She had miscalculated since everyone here was loyal to Jon Arryn. Not her. They were only loyal to this point with Lysa due to marrying the old man and no one knew of her actions in ending his life.

Now that loyalty was gone.

"No! No! You tricked me! You tricked me!" exclaimed Lysa before Vale knights took her and a now screaming Robin away.

Leaving an entire room in shock at what just happened.

"You were right. I should have known you were right. I never assumed my sister would act this way," said Catelyn after walking over to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

"There are times I wish I wasn't right. I caused shame upon House Tully this day. While the rest of your family and House is innocent, your sister's actions will be a stain upon it that may never leave," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn grimaced.

"My Father will not be happy when he hears this. He had always stressed upon us to do our duty whether we liked it or not. To see Lysa do this, to go this far in defiance of just about everything House Tully stands for...I do not know what to say," replied Catelyn with Sub-Zero nodding.

Before could be said on this issue, a Vale messenger quickly came into the room with a scroll in hand with the Lin Kuei seal on it. Handing it to the Grandmaster, the messenger bowed and left the room.

"What does it say?" asked Catelyn while Sub-Zero read it.

"It is a message from my student Jon. Your husband was attacked outside one of Lord Baelish's brothels. He was doing some last minute investigative work on why Jon Arryn was there. Jamie Lannister and large group of Lannister men were the attackers. Your husband suffered an injury to his arm, but nothing that can't be properly healed. Word reached Jamie of us taking Tyrion to the Vale and decided to confront him on the issue," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn gasped before her eyes narrowed.

"And what of the Kingslayer?" asked Catelyn while wondering if the Tywin Lannister's son was hurt.

"He fled. His forces were bested by Ned, Jory, and other Stark men with him while Jon was on a roof firing arrows at the Lannisters," replied Sub-Zero with Catelyn looking furious.

"He dared to attack my husband? The Hand of the King?!" questioned Catelyn angrily.

"At the time, your husband was not Hand of the King. He willingly relinquished the title after Robert wanted Daenerys Targaryen dead once he learned she was pregnant with child," said Sub-Zero with a hint of disapproval in his voice over the idea of an assassin killing a woman and her unborn child.

"Robert wouldn't. He didn't!" protested Catelyn while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"He did. Jon was there with your husband. Robert gave the order to assassins to kill the Targaryen girl. Your husband wanted no part in the scheme and surrendered his badge as the Hand of the King," said Sub-Zero while wondering how he could stop this without Robert knowing.

He needed a miracle. But first, he needed to send a raven to Ned about Lysa Arryn being arrested while her son was being detained.

One more piece removed from the board. Several more to go.

(A/N: YAY! Another nice long chapter for all of you and a nice Fatality since I felt it was long overdue. Hope you liked it. Things are going to escalate soon with what's happening in King's Landing. So be prepared for that. Until next time...PEACE!)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-High Price

Ned was in his chambers, on his bed to be more precise, while Jon/Aegon was attending to his arm while making sure it didn't get infected. The wound on his arm had been much deeper then either man expected, which required proper medication, and bed rest to help insure a speedy recovery.

Jon had just finished the last of the stitching when Robert came in with Cersei with both looking angry, but for different reasons. Robert was always angry. You could see it on his face despite it being hidden behind the beard. Not to mention he was surprising sober at the moment, meaning his lack of wine intact made the man anger increase ten fold. As for Cersei, she was angry for the fight Ned and Jamie had outside of Littlefinger's brothel. It was in her mind that Ned was at fault, despite the fact Jamie came to confront Lord Stark with a larger force, taunted the Warden of the North, and ordered Lannister bannermen to kill the Stark bannermen with quite a few witnesses to the event.

As for as Cersei was concerned however, Lannisters could do no wrong. Her Father had done horrible things during his time ruling House Lannister, and no one punished him for it. Why should she or Jamie be any different?

Tyrion didn't count. She considered him an abomination unworthy of their House name so if he died some horrible death, it was his fault.

"Your Grace. I would stand, but I risk opening my wound," said Ned while Jon had told him to stay in bed since getting up risked opening his stitches that were just done on his arm.

"You realize what your wife has done? What the Lin Kuei Grandmaster has done?" asked Cersei firmly while Ned readjusted himself carefully on the bed.

"They did nothing I did not command of them when we last spoke. His Grace asked me to investigate Jon Arryn's death and I have been doing just that. My wife and even the Grandmaster were aiding me in obtaining new information to help bring the murders to justice," replied Ned while Robert merely snorting like a bull at his response.

"Well your wife and the Grandmaster have had their fun. They will release Tyrion from their hold and _you_ will make peace with Jamie Lannister," ordered Robert while Ned was furious his sworn brother would ask this.

"Tyrion Lannister was never the Grandmaster's prisoner. Nor Catelyn Stark. I have it on good authority from my Sifu that they were all traveling to the Vale willingly as a whole group. Jamie Lannister was the one at fault here. Not Lord Stark. If anyone should try to broker peace, it should be the lion. Not the wolf," said Jon while Cersei looked enraged by the idea of her brother/secret lover being the one to make peace.

"He tried to butcher my men. In full public of everyone around him. Even worse, the man fled the Capital, which further inflames his guilt," added Ned while Cersei was clenched her fists in rage at him for telling such (truthful) things about Jamie.

"Lord Stark was seen coming out of the brother with his men. All drunk. They attacked Jamie for no reason at all. Ned Stark's word can't be trusted. After all, if he were truly a great swordsman, Jamie wouldn't have injured his arm so badly," countered Cersei while Ned glared at her.

"He may have gotten my arm your Grace, but I was able to leave my own mark on his face to remind him to not underestimate the wolf," Ned shot back while Cersei found his response unwelcome since she had heard of how Jamie's face was badly hurt.

She would repay Ned Stark for his action a thousand fold.

"Enough! All of you! This will not continue any further. I won't have it. I don't care who makes peace with who first. I want it to end!" exclaimed Robert with Ned nodding and so did Jon.

Only Cersei refused.

"I took you for a King. They attacked my brother and kidnapped the other despite what this one tells us. Perhaps I should wear the armor and you the skirt," said Cersei before Robert backhanded her in the face.

"Hold your tongue!" commanded Robert while Cersei glared at him.

"I shall wear this as a badge of honor," said Cersei in defiance of Robert.

"Wear it in silence or I will do it again," warned Robert before Cersei stormed out of he room.

"Robert...," said Ned, but a wave of Robert's hand silenced him as the King went to pour some wine.

"My loving wife. Jon Arryn said she was a perfect match for me. 'Marry her and secure the Seven Kingdoms' he said. 'You need Tywin Lannister's support' he said. 'Without the lion's backing, you won't be able to hold the Seven Kingdoms together' he said. Bah! All he did was make my life miserable with her to punish me for my drinking and whoring ways. Still, I shouldn't have hit her. That was not...not kingly of me," said Robert and he almost imagined Lyanna having an argument with him.

He dreaded the idea of a drunk version of himself striking Lyanna over a disagreement.

"Perhaps you should cut back on the drinking and whoring your Grace," said Jon firmly while Ned glanced at him with worry.

"Ha! Listen to him. Your son is giving me sound advice. Just like you would Ned. Advice I either ignore or refuse outright because I hate the idea of it. You're lucky Ned. To have so many members of your family at your side. Me? I only had you and my brothers. But I do not love them. A sad thing to admit, but its true. Even when we all stayed at the Lin Kuei compound trying to form bonds with every other Heir or potential Heir to a House. You were the brother I chose Ned. The one I wish was mine by blood. You were always the one to keep me in check. Keep me from making dumb mistakes. Keeping me from doing something stupid and reckless that if I had not listened, I would be dead by now. We can talk more after I come back from the hunt," said Robert with Ned looking at him with a frown and worry.

"The hunt?" asked Ned curiously and with worry.

"Aye, kling things always cleared my head. Let's me think more clearly. You know that. You will have to sit on the Iron Throne until get back. You'll hate it even more then I do," said Robert and throwing the pendant on Ned's torso.

"I will try to rule well until your return your Grace," said Ned while holding the Hand of the King pendant in his hands.

"Enough with that nonsense. Just sit on the damn throne and take charge. And one more thing Ned, if you take that pendant off again, I swear on the Mother I will pin it on Jamie fucking Lannister," said Robert before leaving the room.

"We didn't tell him about Lord Baelish and the evidence obtained during the investigation into Jon Arryn's murder," commented Jon with Ned sighing.

"We can tell him later upon his return. There are too many eyes on us. Too many ears. Go with the King on his hunt. Hide in the shadows and watch over him," ordered Ned while Jon looked concerned.

"And what about you? I don't like the idea of leaving you here without my help," replied Jon with Ned smirking.

"Contrary to the growing belief of some people, I can take care of myself when required," said Ned despite the disbelieving look on Jon's masked face.

"And yet had I not been there, things would no doubt have been completely different," said Jon in a semi joking manner.

"Aye, it would have been. After this mess with Jon Arryn is concluded, I will tell you about your Mother. I will tell you everything," said Ned with Jon's eyes widening and nodded once to accept the man's decision.

"I look forward to it," said Jon before he left and Ned sighed.

"Only one of us will be looking forward to it. I only hope you forgive me for waiting this long to tell you," said Ned to himself.

(King's Landing-Sometime Later)

Robert was right about one thing. Ned hated the Iron Throne. Hated everything about it. The design, the symbol of power it represented, and the fact it was created through the death and violence of countless people (if even _some_ of the story behind its creation were true) dying in battle.

All in all, it was a painful eyesore. And one Ned Stark had the hated privileged of sitting on until Robert's return from his damn hunt.

And right now, he was dealing with an issue regarding the Riverlands being attacked with Petyr Baelish on one side of him while Grand Maester Pycelle was on the other. Oh how Ned hated these men. One for orchestrating Jon Arryn's death and the other for assisting in its completion once the poison fully entered Lord Arryn's body.

"They burned almost everything in the Riverlands. Our fields and our grainery. Even our homes. They would have done horrible things to the women and children, had not the Lin Kuei descended on them. Most of them managed to escape on horseback while the leader was swearing this was only the beginning of the horrors they intended to unleash on us," said the farmer from the Riverlands with another one beside him nodding in agreement.

"Brigands most likely. Though why the Lin Kuei got involved is unusual," said Pycelle while puzzled by the involvement of the clan of assassins.

"You forget Grand Maester, the Lin Kuei clan has always kept battles or wars contained, and away from the smallfolk. They also do not tolerate bandits, brigands, or anyone else attacking innocent people. Assassins by nature, but one with a sense of honor to protect the innocent lives within the Seven Kingdoms," said Ned while Pycelle nodded since the Grandmaster had made sure the Lin Kuei were not known for such barbarism.

"They weren't thieves. They didn't steal anything. They even left something behind your Grace," said the second farmer.

"You are addressing the Hand of the King. The King himself is out hunting," said Pycelle firmly.

"Grand Maester, they didn't know how else to address me as Hand of the King. This isn't one of those times when one remembers proper decorum when addressing others when considering what they went through. Not to mention what they nearly lost outside of their homes and fields," said Ned while Pycelle shifted uncomfortably at his reprimand.

"For future reference, you would have to refer to him as Lord Hand," commented Lord Baelish to make things go by faster, if just a little.

One of the farmers brought a basket container and dumped the contents on the floor with it being a dead black fish.

"A fish?" asked Pycelle in confusion.

"The fish is the Sigil of House Tully. Your wife's House I believe, Lord Hand," said Lord Baelish while Ned wanted to lash out at the Master of Coin since he damn well knew the fish was the symbol of House Tully.

"Did these attackers have a Sigil? A banner of some kind?" asked Ned knowing there was always some way to identify the attacker.

"No my Lord Hand. The one leading them was an ugly thing. Portly to a degree with a pig like face and squeaky voice. He stabbed and ripped open countless horses. Killed our blacksmith with his own hammer by beating him to death with it. Laughing as he went and even when burning down some homes. He took an arrow to his side when the Lin Kuei descended the group of attackers, but managed to get on his horse and ride off while saying more horrors would come before this was over," said the first farmer nervously.

"Sounds like someone we know. Armory Lorch. He was suppose to fight Ser Hugh of the Vale at one point, but the latter never showed. Has your wife dome something to offend him Lord Hand?" asked Lord Baelish while Ned narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth.

"Why would Armory Lorch do something like this? He is a anointed knight. It does not make sense a man such as him would do such a thing," said Pycelle since he did not fully understand the reason for Armory Lorch to act so violently.

"Armory Lorch is known as Tywin Lannister's Pig Monster. The second most nastiest fighter under House Lannister when called upon. The Mountain being the first before his untimely end all those years ago at the hands of a certain Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei," said Lord Baelish with Ned Stark not believing Armory Lorch was doing this just to get back at his wife or the Lin Kuei.

Seeing this action before him, Ned Stark felt the need to bring justice to the land and to the people. Which was why the newly reappointed Hand of the King commanded Lord Beric Dondarrion to assemble several hundred men and rise all the way to the Riverlands to arrest Armory Lorch. In addition, Lord Stark had denounced Armory Lorch, stripped him of his title as a knight, taking his lands, home, and anything else the man possessed. Ned also commanded a raven be sent to Tywin Lannister on his order to come to King's Landing and face the charges of his bannermen or be labeled a traitor to the Crown.

Much to the shock of Pycelle, Varys, and Baelish when they heard this.

Ned ignored them about yanking the lion's tail. Justice had to be done. If Tywin Lannister had a problem with justice, the old lion could come see him in King's Landing.

(Riverlands-Sometime Later)

"Summoned to court for the crimes of your bannerman, Armory Lorch. Uh...arrive within a fortnight or be labeled an enemy of the Crown. Poor Ned Stark. Brave man, but terrible judgment," commented Jamie Lannister while reading the message the raven provided from King's Landing.

"Attacking him was stupid. In broad daylight. As clear evidence on your face from the scar he gave you. It was fortunate my Maester accompanying us was positive it would fade enough to be barely noticeable," said Tywin while he was sharpening his blade to kill a dead stag.

"Ned Stark and his men were more skilled then I gave him credit for when I approached them," said Jamie admittedly while leaving out the part about the archer who took shots at them.

"I have said not once, but several dozen times to you. Lannisters do not act like fools. You want to say something clever? Go on. Say something clever. _Attempt_ to impress me," replied Tywin while seeing Jamie wave off his words.

"Catelyn Stark kidnapped Tyrion. I wasn't about to let that go unanswered. You wouldn't in my place," said Jamie with Tywin scoffing.

"Why isn't he dead?" asked Tywin.

"Tyrion?" asked Jamie in confusion.

"Ned Stark? You had the numbers, the element of surprise, and your skills with a sword are at a level few can match," replied Tywin with the man looking back at his eldest son.

"Lord Stark had help. An archer on the roof. He thinned the ranks of my men and caught us all by surprise," said Jamie while Tywin shook his head again.

"Oh please, what are you? Five years old? Do you need to keep lying to me? That wasn't just an ordinary archer who helped Ned Stark. It was a member of the Lin Kuei. You do recall the Lin Kuei and who their teacher is, don't you? The very teacher who spent years teaching you, Rheagar Targaryen, Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, and others in the various ways of doing things," replied Tywin while Jamie winced since he didn't realize it.

"So the Lin Kuei is backing Ned Stark," surmised Jamie while Tywin shook his head.

"If the Grandmaster or the Lin Kuei were on his side, we would all be dead by now. No. This was done most likely by Ned Stark's newly legitimized bastard for a son Jon Stark, who has been personally trained by the Grandmaster. What's more, everyone saw you flee from the fighting, which makes your supposed guilt even greater!" exclaimed Tywin angrily while Jamie let out an amused laugh.

"I didn't think you, the great Tywin Lannister, would worry yourself over a legitimized bastard from the North," said Jamie with his smile leaving him when his Father walked right into his personal space.

"The fact you do not means your mind has clearly dulled before its time. Jon Stark has become an investment to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. Maybe, he will one day succeed the man when the time comes. The Lin Kuei has been responsible for the deaths of various people throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Both High and Low. Do you think I am unaware of what they did to House Greyjoy and their fleet during their Rebellion? Robert would have lost more men and ships had he faced the Kraken when they were at full strength. Instead, Jon Arryn decided it was more prudent to enlist the services of the Lin Kuei in order to cripple the Greyjoy fleet and its forces to the point where fighting them was like fighting dull witted children," said Tywin harshly while Jamie winced since he did feel as if the resistance from the Greyjoys had been below even their usual standards of fighting.

"So what do we do?" asked Jamie curiously.

"I _was_ going to give you half of our forces to attack Catelyn Tully's childhood home and remind her that Lannister's pay their debts. However, I have changed my mind. Armory Lorch sent me a raven earlier about how the Lin Kuei helped repel his own forces from the Riverlands. No doubt word will reach the Grandmaster of this and will seek to look into this further since Lorch would not do anything unless I gave the command. I would rather not have the Grandmaster send one of his Lin Kuei agents to put a blade to your throat. Especially, if he thought the move would stop further action on our part," said Tywin while knowing several Lords in the Westernlands had done things under his own nose and the Lin Kuei had dealt with it before exposing those sinful things to the world to justify their actions in ending the lives of such people.

"So we show some Lannister might and make Ned Stark rethink his actions?" questioned Jamie with Tywin scoffing.

" _You_ are staying here with our main force where it is safe until this issue can be properly handled before it gets worse. Meanwhile, _I_ am going to King's Landing to remind Lord Stark of just who he is dealing with, and that his position as Hand of the King does not provide as much protection as he thinks it does. I was his predecessor's predecessor after all," said Tywin firmly while planning on taking a small force of two hundred men with him.

"I almost feel bad for Lord Stark. Almost," said Jamie with Tywin frowning at him.

"Do not be so smug about this. We both know my influence is the only reason you have not been forced to join the Night's Watch or possibly lose your head all those years ago when I sacked King's Landing and you killed the Mad King. Or do the snide remarks of being called 'Kingslayer' all the time not bother you anymore?" remarked Tywin coldly, which removed the smugness from Jamie's face.

(King's Landing-Gardens)

Ned was patiently waiting for Cersei to arrive. He need to confront her about what his investigation into Jon Arryn's murder had unearthed. Part of his mind said this was a stupid move. He should keep this to himself until Robert came back from the hunt and told the King about Cersei's children. How they weren't Robert's by blood, but Jamie Lannnister's own bastard born children. But Ned also knew Robert's wrath. Knew what the man would do to Cersei, if not all three children. While Joffrey was questionable in terms of mental stability, Ned had seen Tommen and Myrcella at a distance. While the eldest of the three was clearly not right in the head, the other two children Cersei had brought into the world were innocent, and neither of them seemed to be power hungry like Joffrey.

"You asked to see me Lord Stark," said Cersei after her arrival.

"Yes. I was hoping to talk to you before Robert came back from the hunt," said Ned while Cersei glanced at the bandaged arm.

"Are you still in pain? I understand the damage was severe," said Cersei in reference to the man's damaged limb.

"I have felt worse pains. This is nothing," answered Ned since it was true.

"Perhaps it is time you and the other members of the Stark family went home. The South does not seem to agree with your you or your House," offered Cersei since the increased tension between them had become noticeable.

"Perhaps, but only when Robert comes back from the hunt. I tried to be a good Hand of the King, but the man I knew is shadow of himself. Even still, I intend to try being a good Hand until that day," replied Ned with Cersei smiled with a sense of respect toward him for trying to do what was right even when there was no point.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" asked Cersei in order to get things back on track.

"I discovered what Jon Arryn was doing. I know what he died discovering. A secret truth you don't want Robert to know," said Ned while Cersei tensed, but smiled all the same.

"And what secret truth is that Lord Stark," said Cersei with Ned pausing for a moment to think of the proper choice of words.

"Your children. They are not Roberts. None of them are his children. Just yours...and Jamie's," replied Ned while Cersei tensed up once more and was noticeable this time.

"That is a terrible accusation to make Lord Stark. Especially without proof," said Cersei while hoping she could bait him to reveal the proof behind the actual truth so it could be destroyed.

Her children and Jamie being the exception of course.

"I do have proof. I also have proof that you secretly conspired with those who murdered Jon Arryn to help keep it a secret. If Jon Arryn had gone to the King with this, you along with Jamie, and your children would have been killed," said Ned with Cersei's eyes now narrowing.

"Jamie would have killed Robert if the man tried to kill us. Jamie is young, strong, and a skilled swordsman. Robert is a fat drunk. He can't even fit into his own armor anymore," said Cersei since she would take a certain pleasure in seeing Jamie kill Robert in a fight.

"Robert's rage would counter those issues. Every member of House Baratheon can easily perform incredible acts of strength and violence when enraged. Few on the receiving end of it rarely live long enough to tell the tale. And those that do always fought Baratheons past their prime," warned Ned with Cersei grimacing since that was true enough with the history of Robert's House.

Hence why their House Motto was "Ours is the Fury" for a reason.

"It doesn't matter. I won't allow Robert to take or kill what is mine. I grew life within my womb and carried it for nine months on three different occasions. If you think I will let Robert of all people take those lives from me, much less their _real Father_ simply because he sits on the Iron Throne, you do not know me well enough Lord Stark," warned Cersei with her words hinting of something nefarious if push came to shove.

"I know you always hated him. Ever since the start of your marriage to Robert," said Ned with Cersei letting out a small hollow laugh.

"Hated him? No. I worshipped him. Every girl in the Seven Kingdoms loved Robert and the idea of being with him. Who wouldn't? He was strong, built, was fighting to end the rule of a Mad King, and leading his forces to victory. But Robert was mine when the time came for us to wed. The man that every girl and woman my age wanted and he was mine by oath and right in the eyes of the Seven. I was so happy the day we married...until my wedding night. He came into the room, drunk from his constant intake of wine, fumbling to do what he could in his pathetic drunken state. And what was worse...Robert had the nerve to speak your sisters name when finishing," said Cersei angrily at the end since it had been a blow to her female pride and a pride as a Lannister.

A broken and damaged woman from the North had cast an everlasting shadow over her marriage and ruined it for Cersei from day one. Cersei had to compete with a woman in another Kingdom, who wasn't married to Robert, and resulted in her husband whoring himself with any woman who caught his fancy.

It was infuriating for Cersei to be in the shadow of another woman who was not even in the same Kingdom as her or high position. One who was damaged, broken, and couldn't even have children had more influence with Robert over Cersei herself.

"You forget, Robert started his rebellion for my sister. A rebellion where the prices for everyone paying for it were high and deals were made when the fires of war settled. You think my sister had an easy time following the war? She suffered. She still suffers from what happened everyday and every night when Rheagar had her," countered Ned with a hint of anger in his voice over the fact Cersei blamed Lyanna for Robert's ineffectiveness to love her back.

"I'm sure she does. But it doesn't change the fact Robert still loves her over me. The very woman who could love him back and give him children," countered Cersei.

"And yet, you failed to give Robert any children since the three you have now are not his by blood. Something I intend to tell him when he gets back from the hunt," Ned shot back while Cersei's eyes narrowed.

"And what should I do until his return Lord Stark? Do you expect me to beg? Grovel? To plead for mercy that you not tell him?" asked Cersei while Ned shook his head.

"Leave King's Landing. Take your children with you. Take a ship and go to Braavos. Or maybe Essos. Somewhere that Robert's wrath cannot reach you. We both know what will happen when I tell him the truth," said Ned with Cersei's eyes narrowed further.

"And what of my wrath Lord Stark? Did you ever consider my wrath? I may be a woman, but I am a Lannister. Daughter of the infamous Tywin Lannister. I learned many things from my Father during his time as Hand of the King and being Warden of the West. One of those things was to how to outmaneuver my enemies and right now, you are one of them," said Cersei before she left without another word to plot and counter Lord Stark's plan to tell Robert.

It was a good thing Ned had a plan of his own.

(Flashback-Hour before Robert's Hunt)

"The Queen is going to do something if you confront her on this. She will run to Baelish or Pycelle. Maybe even both since they all had a hand in this one way or another," said Jon from the shadows before he emerged from behind Ned.

"I know. Are the girls packed and ready to leave?" asked Ned with Jon nodding.

"Arya is ready. She wants her Dancing Master to come with her for more lessons. Syrio has agreed to it since he sees potential in her for the art. Unfortunately, Sansa has been less...accommodating to the idea of leaving since it means her marriage to Joffrey is now in question," said Jon with Ned grimacing, but considering what the false Prince was in terms of lineage, the two could not be together.

"Once I explain the truth to Sansa, I'm sure she will come around," said Ned with Jon nodding since it would help the girl realize not everyone is what they appear.

"Jory and several others are ready to depart for the North. Just give the word," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"Do it when Robert gets back from the hunt. And go with them. What needs to be done when Robert gets back will be done without you," said Ned with Jon looking shocked.

"What? Why?!" demanded Jon angrily for the first time ever when speaking to the man.

"Things are getting dangerous in King's Landing. If something happens to me while here, I do not care. But you and the girls are different. I can't risk it," said Ned with Jon now frowning at him.

"And if something happens to you, who will tell me about my Mother?" asked Jon with Ned sighing and clenching his eyes shut.

"If something does happen to me after you leave, seek out the Grandmaster. He will be able to tell you everything," answered Ned while Jon looked confused.

"Master Liang knew the whole time?" asked Jon with Ned nodding.

"Yes. I asked him to swear to silence on the issue since the information we know could change the outcome of the Seven Kingdoms itself. Should anything happen, you can tell the Grandmaster he can break his silence," said Ned with Jon looking uncertain.

"If that is your wish," said Jon with Ned nodding.

"It is my wish. But know that no matter what happens, you are a Stark. You have always been a Stark. Of my blood. Of my House. Legitimization by Robert or not. And above all else, I am proud of you. I know your Mother is proud of you," said Ned with Jon nodding while making a mental note to speak the Grandmaster about this in further detail.

Without another word spoken, Jon left the Hand of the King's Office while Ned let out a tired sigh.

(End Flashback)

With that in mind, Ned had one more thing to do in case things went sour for him while in this wretched city. One more move to make in the event Robert somehow met some kind of untimely end and himself along with his Sworn Brother soon after.

He had a message to write to Stannis and had to write it quickly before the spies of his enemies caught wind of it.

(King's Landing-Sometime Later)

Ned was walking through the corridor with a small contingent of his House bannermen when Renly came running toward him covered in blood and calling out his name. Renly explained how the blood wasn't his own, but Robert's when they were out hunting. Robert stumbled when the boar charged, more drunk then usual, and he would have missed his thrust with a spear if not for a projectile from the flank that hit the animal. The boar was moved off its course from the King just enough to prevent the tusk from goring him with a lethal hit.

Still, the injury was pretty severe with Jon Stark revealing himself before assisting the King with some measure of medical treatment until they returned to the city. Using some of the wine, which Robert protested about, Jon was able to prevent the wound from being infected due to the alcohol in it being used to fight off infections caused by such injuries.

Lin Kuei in the field medicinal training at its finest.

When Ned followed Renly into the room, he saw Robert on the bed being attended to my Grand Maester Pycelle with Cersei, Joffrey, Ser Barristan, and Jon all in the room. Ned's eyes went from Robert to the wound, which was bleeding through the bandages. All he could do was walk over to Robert, examine the wound himself and grimace at the sight of it.

"My fault. Too much wine. Nearly missed my thrust. Had your son not been there, hiding in the shadows, the damn beast would have got me worse. But I paid it back Ned. Sliced into him with my spear during the initial thrust on its side before taking my dagger and thrusting it into the beast's brain after being gored on my side. You don't believe me? Tell him! The three of you were there. Tell him!" said Robert while Ser Barristan nodding and so did Jon.

"Fortunately, if treated properly from here on out, the wound itself won't be lethal," said Jon while Ned looked worried all the same.

"Which I will be doing momentarily. Once every leaves of course," said Grand Maester Pycelle with Robert growling angrily.

"Everyone out. Except Ned. I need to talk with him in private," said Robert with most in the room obeying, but some looking nervous.

"Robert my sweet...," said Cersei while trying to play the loving wife.

"OUT! ALL OF YOU!" yelled Robert while everyone, except Ned left the room.

"You damned fool! You damned drunken fool! After all that has happened to you in life, all the wars, the battles, and the fighting throughout the Seven Kingdoms we did together, it was a _boar_ of all things that nearly ends your time as King," said Ned while Robert let out a pained sigh.

"I know. I know Ned. I should be dying right now after what that boar did to me during the hunt. I would be if not for that boy. Your boy. He's special. Don't think I can't see it. That greatness. That potential. The Grandmaster saw it first and wanted it to be nurtured under his teachings like he did with us when growing up. He only did that for one other person Ned. A person I killed at the Trident," replied Robert calmly while giving Ned a knowing look.

"Robert, I uh...I...," said Ned uncomfortably under Robert's gaze while fear clawed at his heart.

"You don't have to say or explain it Ned. I know. I know the truth. I saw it knew when I was lying there on the ground, bleeding out from my wound, the boy looming over me trying to save my life. I saw it in his eyes. At first, I wondered how Jon had your sister's eyes, yet the intensity in them was like Rheagar's when we both fought at the Trident. It is amazing how one can receive clarity of the world while lying there from a near fatal injury. It was like a final piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place. I maybe slow on the uptake when it comes to certain things Ned, but I'm not a complete idiot. I put two and two together. He wasn't your bastard from the start. He was Rheagar's child. He is Rheagar's child," concluded Robert with Ned silently nodding.

"And Lyanna," added Ned for good measure in the hopes it would prevent Robert from lashing out at Jon.

What Ned got was a pain filled laugh from his friend.

"You think I don't know that? Who else could be the boy's Mother?" asked Robert with Ned wincing.

"I didn't wish to deceive you. But Lyanna...she feared your wrath. Your wrath against her son," said Ned with Robert nodding.

"Aye, she was right to fear it. Fear me. Ten years ago, I would have butchered that boy myself. Hit him with my war hammer so hard his guts would come flying out the back of his body in a single swing. Back when I took the Iron Throne, I would have taken my war hammer to his infant body over and over again Ned. Shameful as it is to admit. But now? Now, I don't feel anything at all like I use to when it comes to the Targaryens as a whole after what we did," replied Robert with a painful sigh leaving him.

"There are few who know the truth about Jon. We did lie to protect him not only from you, but from Tywin Lannister, and to keep the Seven Kingdoms from tearing itself to pieces. Too many people would have wanted Jon dead or under their influence to control the Seven Kingdoms," said Ned while hoping his explanation would appease Robert.

"You don't have to justify this Ned. Gods know I have been a poor King. Poor friend. Poor husband. Poor brother. I might as well call myself the Poor King. Because while I have Kingdoms, lands, and titles...I'm poor when it comes everything else that matters in life," said Robert while slowly adjusting in his position on the bed.

"What made you not feel hatred for Jon?" asked Ned curiously with Robert letting out a small laugh despite the pain it caused.

"I don't know Ned. Maybe it was from my body lying there on the ground, thinking I was going to die, and my life appeared before my eyes. Seeing my life outside of my body is something they don't tell you in stories and songs. But I saw it Ned. I saw me. I saw what I did with my life on the Iron Throne. Gods Ned, I have been a fool. You were right to say I should have let my hatred of the Targaryens go. I should have stopped hating them all long after Rheagar and the Mad King died. Funny how Rheagar's son saved my life. Ha! All sorts irony there Ned. I kill Rheagar and nearly twenty some years later, his own progeny, and rightful Heir to the Iron Throne saves my life. Does he know?" said Robert with Ned shaking his head.

"No. I haven't told him. I wanted to wait until he was ready and certain no one could be a threat to him," said Ned while Robert laughed some more before calming down again to get serious.

"I take it the Grandmaster knows the truth," surmised Robert with Ned nodding.

"He was there when Lyanna gave birth. As was Prince Oberyn. It was because we arrived when we did that Lyanna didn't die bringing Jon into the world. She nearly bled to death if not for the Grandmaster helping us slow the bleeding," explained Ned before going into deeper detail regarding Lyanna and Rheagar.

In the end, all Robert could do was let out a painful sigh.

"To think, the war we started against the Mad King was in the name of justice. And yet, all those lives lost. All the blood and guts spilled everywhere. For what? A big fat lie. Gods Ned, if the people only knew just how much of a fool their current King was and still is right now," said Robert since he was too tired to clench his fist in anger.

"I know. I was there with you in all of it. Fighting, killing, and nearly dying on a few of those occasions with the scars to prove it," said Ned with Robert smirking.

"I should have died at the Trident. Not Rheagar. Can you imagine if he did win that fight against me? He would have crushed the Rebellion in that one battle and in the end, the man would most likely pardoned you, my brothers, and few other High Lords who fought beside me. Damn it Ned, I was never meant rule. My brothers are good at ruling over the lands and I have treated them with such distain. Such dislike. I chose you as my brother Ned. I accept it. But I should have been better brother to both of them. Especially Stannis. He did everything I asked of him no matter the cost or risk to his own life during the war. And the one time the man fails and I punish him for it. Even when it wasn't his fault. And how do I punish him? I make Renly the Lord of Stormlands and make Stannis the Lord of Dragonstone," said Robert with a bitter chuckle in his mouth.

"You can still correct this Robert. There is still time," said Ned knowing the man could fix this.

"You were always the positive one between us Ned. So full of hope and the belief that people should be honorable," said Robert in a tired voice.

"Robert, there is one more thing you need to know. It is regarding the children. Cersei's children," said Ned while Robert looked at him in confusion.

"What about my children?" asked Robert in confusion while Ned winced.

"They aren't your children Robert. Not one drop of your blood runs in their veins," said Ned before he explained in detail what he had learned about Cersei's children.

He went on about how Cersei conspired with Baelish to have Jon Arryn killed due to the man nearly figuring things out when comparing the three to Robert's bastards he had with different women. How Baelish used Cersei's worries regarding Jon Arryn telling Robert to put his plans into motion to create a war between the Lion and the Wolf. How there were those wanting to destroy the stability of the Seven Kingdoms in order to rule it or be one of the more influential players in it.

"Seven Hells Ned. I was so filled with fear and fury over the Targaryen threat across the Narrow Sea, I didn't see the problems inside one damn city," replied Robert bitterly while Ned was nodding and sighing.

"We can still act Robert. I sent a letter to Stannis about this. If something were to happen to you, the next in line to be King would be him," said Ned while Robert grunted.

"Piss on that Ned. I may not have loved my brother as much as I should, but I know them well enough to know neither one going to be good at being King. Stannis should be Lord of the Stormlands. I will give him that. Maybe even become Hand of the King outside of yourself. But King? No. We need someone else. Someone who is able to sit on the damn throne and rule with a sense of respect and strength a King needs in order to rule properly without the madness or vices we bring with us when sitting on the dam throne," said and angry Robert while his mind was now working more in terms of thinking things out.

For Ned, this was scary since Robert thinking clearly without wine holding him down usually resulted in a lot of people dying.

"What do you propose?" asked Ned with Robert looking at him and then over at the table behind the Lord Hand.

"Paper and writing quill. Behind you. Write this down. If I know my enemies like I think I do now that I know who they are, I'm in a position to die no matter what happens," said Robert with Ned getting the paper and writing quill before writing down what the man had to say.

"Give this to the Small Council in the event of my death. At least they can say I did this right. And arrest those shits who killed Jon Arryn. All of them. Pycelle, Baelish, and even Cersei for what she pulled. And if Tywin Lannister has a problem with it, he can take it up with his angry cunt of a daughter that was my inbreeding whore of a wife. She will deny it of course, but I expect proof to be brought against her denial Ned. Make sure her oh so powerful Father sees it first hand. Shove it down his throat if you have to Ned. Do not be gentle with him or think about honor. A man like that exploits honorable men and will not let such things be tolerated in his presence," warned Robert in the end after he put his seal on the rolled up parchment.

"Lord Tywin should be arriving at King's Landing soon. I demanded he be called to court to answer for the crimes of his bannermen Armory Lorch, who attacked the Riverlands while you were out hunting," said Ned while Robert growled.

"Armory Lorch maybe a pig's cunt, but he wouldn't do anything unless Tywin ordered him to do it. No doubt in retaliation for your wife's recent actions in 'kidnapping' Tyrion Lannister," replied Robert with Ned nodding.

"We had to provoke our enemies. It was the only way," said Ned with Robert nodding.

"High risk. High reward. The Grandmaster always explained as much. You take care of the old lion while I rest. Just don't cower in front of him Ned. He sees that and sees only weakness. That man preys on weakness. Also, in regards to the Targaryen girl and her child, you were right about her too. Call it off Ned. Tell the damn Spider to call off the assassins," said Robert while he focused on resting in his bed.

When Ned exited the room, he shut the door before addressing everyone who stayed after Robert (verbally) kicked them out.

"Give him Milk of the Poppy. It should help the King with his pain until he has properly recovered," ordered Ned to Pycelle since there was no one else he could order to help the King recover.

No matter how much he wanted to arrest the man right now.

"He was reeling from the wine. His Grace ordered us to step aside when the boar charged him. But I failed in my duty to protect the King," said Ser Barristan before sighing over what felt like the second time he failed someone of royalty.

"No man could have saved or protected him. Not even from himself. It was fortunate that Jon was able to intervene at the last moment. If he hadn't, I fear the injury to his Grace would have been fatal," said Ned while his "son" bowed slightly in respect for the praise given to him.

"Speaking of the wine, Ser Barristan, who gave it to the King during his hunt?" asked Baelish curiously.

"The King's squire. A Lannister boy. Lancel Lannister I believe is his name," said Ser Barristan with Ned frowning.

"The same one who was at the tourney trying to help the King get into his armor?" asked Ned with Ser Barristan nodding.

"The very same boy. From the King's own wine skin. Robert was drinking from it almost every minute. I was almost wondering if the damn thing would ever run out of wine with the way it never seemed to become empty," commented Ser Barristan with Ned frowning further in suspicion.

"Such a dutiful boy. Always attending to his Grace's needs by providing refreshment for him at a moments notice," said Baelish with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Regardless, we have more pressing issues to attend. I have spoken to the King about the mater of Daenerys Targaryen. After much deliberation on the issue, his Grace has had a change of heart over wanting her dead. Whatever arrangements have been made to end her life are to be stopped immediately," said Ned to Varys, who looked pleased, yet also concerned by this news.

"That is all well and good Lord Hand, but those birds have already flown. Any attempt to reach them to counter the command would be pointless now. The poor girl and her child may already be dead at this point," said Varys with Ned grimacing.

"All the same. Get word to those birds and those they were in contact with for doing this job. Tell them to stop any attempt set into motion and not to continue any future attempts on her life," commanded Ned Stark while Varys bowed and set to carry out his orders.

While everyone scattered to do their own thing, Ned walked to the Tower of the Hand to deal with his duties with Robert incapacitated at the moment. With Prince Joffrey (even if he was Robert's son) being too young to become King, the power to rule landed on Ned as its Hand.

"I see the decorum hasn't changed much since my time here in King's Landing. Jon Arryn apparently did not feel the need to change much of the room when he was serving as the Hand of the King," commented Tywin Lannister, who was already in the room where he once served as Hand and looking out a balcony when Ned walked in.

"Lord Tywin. I did not expect you to come here before myself to the Tower of the Hand or possibly not send word of your arrival," said Ned politely, but cautiously while giving the room a glance to look for any Lannister men waiting to strike should the old lion give the order.

As for Tywin Lannister, he knew Lord Stark was glancing around for potentially hidden soldiers, which the Lord of Casterly Rock could respect. Only a fool would walk into a room in this situation and not be concerned about a potential trap. Still, Tywin knew Ned Stark to be a man of honesty, civility, and honor so there was no point in being deceptive with the man.

Straight to the point was the best way to do things.

"My apologize Lord Stark. I didn't want everyone within King's Landing to know of my arrival unless necessary," replied Tywin politely while Ned walked over to the desk that was once his own a long time ago.

"Since you are here Lord Tywin, perhaps we can end this quietly and honorably like men of our position should without future violence or bloodshed on our part," said Ned before sitting down and motioning for Tywin to sit down in the chair across from them.

"Indeed. Such a meeting should be handled with some level of proper decorum from one Hand to another. First, I demand an explanation regarding your wife's actions against my youngest son, Tyrion," said Tywin firmly while Ned grimaced.

"Contrary to what you were told or believe Lord Tywin, my wife did not kidnap your son at the Inn. like many have come to believe," answered Ned calmly and it surprised Tywin a bit that the man was answering him without a hint of fear.

"If that is true, what did happen?" asked Tywin while Ned explained how his wife was traveling to the North after initially arriving to King's Landing to show him the one of a kind dagger an assassin tried to murder their son Bran with.

And how Tyrion had been implicated in the plot to murder Ned's son.

"I personally didn't believe the charges myself. Tyrion doesn't strike me as a man who would hire an assassin to kill a boy. Especially a boy he didn't even meet when the King arrived at Winterfell. Lord Baelish informed us the dagger in question was his own until it was won by your son in a bet made on Prince Joffrey's last nameday. Further advise from Master Liang also helped to further clear your son of any wrong doing. They soon encountered Lord Tyrion at the Crossroads Inn. by chance and Master Liang asked for your son's help to expose additional enemies to the crown," answered Ned while Tywin was not pleased by this since he had not seen fit to confirm the information provided.

"This is indeed troubling. It would seem Lord Baelish has been trying to play us for fools in his quest to destroy us with war and conflict. I trust he will be dealt with shortly before the man can do further damage?" said Tywin with Ned nodding.

"Once the King is healed from his hunt. At the moment, Lord Baelish suspects nothing is amiss with his plots and schemes being exposed. I'm trying to keep it that way until the time to bring him to justice is right," replied Ned with Tywin nodding before he frowned since it would mean knocking some sense into his son.

"Good. See that you do. In the meantime, I will handle my son. He acted like a fool and I have told him time and time again, Lannisters do act like fools," said Tywin firmly while Ned looked pensive for a second.

"Lord Tywin, there is another matter I wish to address to you. One I am...hesitant to say due to your reputation and again out of respect for the Honor of your House," said Ned while Tywin raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?" asked Tywin curiously.

"I have recently uncovered evidence of your daughter being unfaithful to Robert during their time married together. In fact, all three of her children are not Robert's by blood. They are Jamie's," said Ned with Tywin narrowing his eyes.

"That is a major accusation to make against my family Lord Stark. The fact that no one has been whispering or even shouting it from the rooftops means only a handful of people have heard this. While I do thank you for not saying such slanderous things about two of my children, much less my House by extension in public, I will ask you provide me with proof of this nonsense," said Tywin coldly since he wasn't about to let someone like Lord Stark use his position as Hand to slander the Lannister name.

"I found out about it when I was investigating Lord Arryn's murder. He was also doing his own investigation and confirmed his suspicions before he was killed," said Ned while Tywin looked unconvinced.

"And?" asked Tywin while wondering if there was even more to it aside from one dead Hand.

"Right before he died, Lord Arryn was reading a old book related to the bloodlines of all the ancient Houses. He was looking into the Baratheon bloodline to be more specific and came across something at the very end," said Ned before handing the book to Tywin, who took it, and saw it was on the page showing Robert's lineage.

"As much as it pains me to say this Lord Stark, I am not following. Nor am I convinced of foul play through my children," said Tywin while Ned sighed.

"When Jon died, his final words were 'the seed is strong'. I didn't know what that meant at first...until I saw Robert's lineage before looking at the children he supposedly sired," said Ned while Tywin frowned further before he did the same.

And frowned further, if just a bit.

"This proves nothing. Perhaps the Baratheon seed is not as strong as Lord Arryn assumed and Lannister blood overpowered Robert's," commented Tywin while Ned sighed.

"I might have thought so too, if not for Robert's bastards countering such a theory," said Ned before he went on to explain how he followed more of Jon Arryn's leads to Robert's bastards.

And how each of them looked like Robert. And how each woman who birthed all of these bastards of the King were different one way or another.

"I will admit, there is enough evidence to arouse suspicion. But I know my children well enough that they would _never_ do such a thing. Not to me. Not to House Lannister," said Tywin while Ned grimaced.

"Lord Tywin, I know you don't want to believe this. I wouldn't believe it myself if I was in your position. But I spoke to Cersei about it. She admitted to me that all three of her children are Jamie's. Not Robert," said Ned while Tywin looking increasingly angry.

"Were there any witnesses to this conversation?" asked Tywin with Ned shaking his head no to his question.

"It was a private conversation in the gardens. I told her I would tell Robert once he came back from the hunt. I told Cersei to leave with her children for distant lands and avoid the King's wrath when presented with the evidence of the infidelity," answered Ned while he saw Tywin thinking things over in his head.

"If what you told me is in fact true, it would mean my legacy has been stained by three incest born bastards with no claim to the Iron Throne," commented Tywin neutrally.

"It is true Lord Tywin. I am certain of it. I would not speak of it to you about this unless I was sure my words were the truth. You know I am a man of honor. I would not lie about something like this or discredit another House in such a shameful manner. It is not my way," replied Ned with the old lion's scowl deepening since he knew Lord Stark had a point.

Ned Stark did not lie or go around discrediting other Houses. It was beneath him and his honor. Plus, he was talking to Tywin himself about this over spreading it around. It was unsettling to the old lion that this was happening and right under his very nose since he had trusted his children to not do something so stupid. The fact Lord Stark wasn't going around spreading it like a plague throughout the Seven Kingdoms only strengthened the man's words. House Stark did not go around doing things without reason, nor did they go around shaming Houses to get what they wanted. He also knew Ned Stark's honor made it so the man would try to handled this privately with Tywin and few people knowing as possible.

Admittedly, Tywin had seen them together nearly naked in their younger years, but had not thought nothing of it since he did not believe anything was related to such a thing. His children had known better then to shame him and their House, especially after all the time spent drilling into their heads about the importance of family.

And yet...the evidence before him was staring the man right in the face. He could deny it. He could become angry at Lord Stark. Denounce the proof and accuse the current Hand of the King with conspiracy to shame House Lannister.

But the evidence before him was undeniable. He could go to Grand Maester Pycelle right now or another Maester he trusted about this to see if there was any validity to the claims Lord Stark made. But could he? Should he?

"How do you propose this is handled Lord Stark?" asked Tywin while feeling he should hear the man out, if only to see how this could be kept from getting out.

"I know Armory Lorch went to my wife's home and attempted to sack it on your orders. Anyone who is anyone knows the man obeys your commands above all others. Which is why you will publicly denounce Armory Lorch and those who followed under his banner. You will send a raven or a messenger to him in secret and order him and his men to lay down their arms before being sent to the Wall. As for Jamie and Cersei, I wish to handle Cersei on my end while I leave Jamie in your capable hands," replied Ned with Tywin thinking it over.

It wasn't unreasonable. Tywin removed the clearly incompetent fool from his employ and kept his actions in commanding the pig monster a secret. As for Jamie and Cersei, it was not unreasonable since Jamie could be handled by Tywin when he returned to his forces, and Lord Stark would keep his daughter's transgressions a secret in order to keep Robert from being humiliated. This of course would mean Cersei would eventually have to be brought back to him to be dealt with discreetly by the old lion himself. Not to mention his daughter's position as Queen being nullified with Robert taking another wife as Queen.

But it was a small price to pay to keep the Lannister name from being ruined, humiliated, and possibly destroyed in the eyes of other Houses. Considering how many disliked the Lannisters and him, they would be waiting to use such a scandal to pick a fight and use this as an excuse to do it. Worse, some of the Houses in the West might rebel if they felt Tywin was unfit to rule as Warden.

Even more so if they believed Tywin could not control the shameful actions of his own children. What right did he have to rule the West if his own children could not be kept in line? Why serve an old lion when his time is almost up and his Heirs are fucking each other and have three children as proof?

No! He could not let that happen.

"Your terms are acceptable Lord Stark. Initially, I was under the impression your actions were one trying to seize more power, or at least shame my House. But now I see you are trying to protect the people and the Seven Kingdoms from something it does not need nor want right now," replied Tywin with Ned nodding.

"Thank you for seeing reason Lord Tywin. Rest assured, your youngest will return to you unharmed and explain things further about what happened when traveling with my wife," said Ned while both men rose from their seats and shook hands.

"Indeed. Good day Lord Stark," replied Tywin before leaving the room so he could ride to his army's encampment at Riverrun and "discipline" his idiot son.

(King's Room-Sometime Later)

Robert knew something was wrong. His instincts, while dulled significantly from his time drinking and whoring, told him something was wrong. He felt weaker. Not stronger. His recovery was not progressing smoothly, but in fact going in reverse. Glancing over to his right, Robert saw Pycelle working on something before sending (not so) discreet glances back at the King. A look of nervousness on the old Maester's face. More then usual. And it was here that Robert knew what was happening.

Pycelle was trying to kill him! Just like he helped those who killed Jon Arryn.

"So this is how it happens. King Robert Baratheon, murdered by his Grand Maester," said Robert tiredly while Pycelle stiffened and glanced back at him.

"Your Grace?" asked Pycelle while wondering how much the King knew.

"Don't bother denying it you old cunt. I know you were one of them. I have known for quite awhile that you helped in killing the man I called a Father. You helped killed Jon Arryn. And now, you seek to kill me so my so called son can sit on the Iron Throne upon my death," accused Robert while Pycelle was even more nervous.

"I do not wish to do this your Grace. But it must be done. The good of the realms and the Seven Kingdoms compels me to do this. I feel no joy in assisting in this action," replied Pycelle while slowly approaching the King.

"Good of the realms. Ha! Piss on that excuse. You are doing this because my whore of a wife is a Lannister. You fear her Father. You fear not being on the 'winning side' when the conflict begins. You sided with those murderous cunts who killed my Hand. I only stayed my hand in putting your head on a pike because your fellow conspirators needed to be discovered," said Robert with Pycelle looking even more fearful, but his right hand holding the small jar of liquid gave it away.

"Your Grace, you have to understand, I had no choice. If was told I could go along with the plans of the others or be killed and someone else would replace me," protested Grand Maester Pycelle while Robert growled.

"You couldn't come to me? You couldn't warn me of their treachery? Don't feed me lies you old cunt. I know you did it out of greed. Those fuckers promised you a place at their position of power. A seat at the table. They needed you to kill Jon Arryn and still need you now to cover up their crime of killing me," said Robert with Pycelle looking hesitant and fearful to move or act now that both men were near each other.

"I had no choice your Grace. I truly do regret Jon Arryn's death. But it had to be done. I had to do what must be done for the good of the realms. Just as I must do this now," said Pycelle before moving the small vile of liquid to Robert's lips.

But in the last moment, Robert sprang to life, ignoring the liquid that left the small jar, which entered his mouth, and grabbed Pycelle by the throat. The old man dropped the jar of liquid, the glass breaking loudly on the floor, his old hands trying to pry the younger, yet still weak man from his neck. The fury in Robert's eyes reminding Pycelle of the Baratheon House motto "Ours in the Fury" and the King living up to it by using his very rage to give his body incredible strength in his weakened condition to crush the elderly man's throat like it was nothing.

 _SNAP!_

That was sound made by Pycelle's neck being crushed and snapped by Robert's hands echoed throughout the room. Ser Barristan, who was standing outside the room heard the sound, and _thump_ a body made when it hit the ground before rushing in. Seeing Pycelle on the ground, a broken vile of questionable liquid at the foot of the bed, and Robert now struggling to breathe told the man everything he needed to know.

Pycelle had poisoned the King and Robert killed him with his last act of defiance.

"Your Grace!" exclaimed Ser Barristan before rushing to the King's side.

"Ned. Tell Ned...to take the...Iron Throne. To carry out...my...wishes. He has...the order I wrote down...for the Small Council to carry out upon my...death," gasped Robert while he struggled to breathe before he fell forward in Ser Barristan's grip dead.

King Robert Baratheon's rule had come to an end.

(Tower of the Hand)

Ned heard the bells ringing. They signified the death of the King. Ned of course knew that the King would only be dead if by the hands of outside forces. Given how Pycelle was "treating" Robert, it was not unreasonable the old man saw his chance to end the rule of Robert Baratheon to make way for Joffrey's ascension as King.

Not that it would happen. Not if Ned had anything to say about it. Even if Joffrey did move to name himself King, it would be void on its face. Robert had already set things into motion regarding the future of Seven Kingdoms with Ned's help and the message sent to Stannis to ensure the man knew what came next. All that was left was Renly and even Varys to assist in the transition while Lord Baelish was arrested for his crimes.

"Ned, the King is dead. My brother is dead," said Renly with Ned nodding.

"The bells told me as such," said Ned while praying his sword brother found peace in the afterlife.

"He named you Protector of the Realm and Regent to rule until an Heir was ready, right?" asked Renly while Ned nodded.

"He did. And more," answered Ned somewhat cryptically while not wanting to reveal too much to Renly since the man had an ambitious side to him.

"We need to strike fast and soon. Cersei won't care if you are named Protect of the Realm or Regent. She will put her son on the Iron Throne and rule through him. I wouldn't be surprised if Cersei went to Baelish to help secure additional support in some form. Just give me an hour and I will have a hundred swords at your command," said Renly since he knew how Cersei would think in this situation.

"And what would I do with a hundred swords at my command?" asked Ned, but had an idea.

"To strike now. While the people mourn Robert's death. We take control of Joffrey and the Crown by extension. Get him away from his Mother," said Renly while Ned shook his head.

"You presume Joffrey is the named Heir," replied Ned while Renly was looking at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Renly since he didn't understand.

"Joffrey is not Robert's son. None of Cersei's children are Roberts. I found out during my investigation into who killed Jon Arryn. Littlefinger ironically enough headed that plot, but tried to direct me to what Lord Arryn had died for during his own investigation in the belief the Lannisters plotted this from the start," explained Ned before telling Renly what else he knew about the situation.

"Who else knows?" asked Renly while Ned shrugged.

"Your brother Stannis for one after I sent a messenger to him a short time ago. Varys I'm sure already knew, but kept his mouth shut to ensure he had something to bargain with in the event of being targeted. The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei will soon know once Jon returns to Master Liang to fill in the gaps. I have Robert's final proclamation in hand to be read once I sit on the Iron Throne as Regent. I was planning to do that shortly, but I need help to enforce my position. Will you help me?" said Ned with Renly looking very frustrated at this point and the Lord of House Stark knew why.

Renly was hoping to back the Regent and gain favor with the man to the point of being named King of the Seven Kingdoms. To gain the Regent's blessing to circumvent all the rules of succession and screw Stannis out of what was arguably his rightful claim. With Robert dead and no _legitimate_ Heirs to the Iron Throne, the next in line would be Stannis. Renly being the youngest of the three Baratheon brothers, wanted to be King of the Seven Kingdoms since the power behind it was practically absolute.

All he needed was the Regent's support and the Iron Throne would be become Renly's.

"Only if you name me the rightful Heir. Stannis cannot rule Ned. He's not King material," said Renly with Ned frowning in disappointment.

"And you are? Besides, you know the rules of succession Renly. Stannis would be the one to sit on the Iron Throne, not you," said Ned firmly.

"And you think Stannis would be a good King? Everyone thought that about Robert, but they were wrong. Stannis is a good commander. No one can deny it. But King? The man is too cold. Too stiff. He would have the people rebelling against him with in a few years for his harsh way of doing things," argued Renly while Ned sighed.

"My answer is no," said Ned with Renly getting angrier with each passing second.

"You are being foolish Lord Stark. You believe honor will make people follow my late brother's final command. But they will only follow his final command if you have the power to enforce it. Power you lack," said Renly before he stormed off out of the room.

"I know. Which is why I sent those I love away from this wretched place when Robert returned. Forgive me Jon. It looks like you will have to learn the truth from Master Liang instead of myself," said Ned with a sigh knowing the price of what was about to happen soon was going to be high.

But one he was willing to pay. Even if it meant the cost of his life. His Father did. His brother did. And now, Ned Stark would follow in their footsteps to do what is right at the cost of their lives.

 _If you have the fight...win!_

His Father's words echoed in Ned's mind at that moment. Ned knew a fight was going to happen. A fight he would lose personally given the nest of vipers slithering throughout the city waiting to strike the honorable wolf. But on a larger level, Ned would see to it that even in the end, he would win against his enemies long after the Stranger claimed him.

Justice would not be denied. Merely delayed.

(A/N: YAY! Another long chapter. Sorry this took so long. I had to think about how the actions of Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei, and Jon/Aegon would influence things in the Seven Kingdoms. Not to mention how things will play out next chapter with (spoiler alert!) Ned meeting his end like he did in Season 1. I know, you think the Lin Kuei can and should do something about this. But Sub-Zero can't be everywhere at once and the Lin Kuei is not a massive army. They are shadows, lurking in the darkness, and striking with quality over quantity. Unfortunately, Cersei, Joffrey, and Baelish have quantity on their side so engaging in an all out fight would be foolish and stupid. Personally, I like Ned. It sucked that the man died in the end the way he did. I don't want to kill him off, but I have to do it in order to move things forward in this fic. Sorry. Until next time...PEACE!)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11-Where there is Smoke there is Fire

Daenerys Targaryen found herself questioning, not for the first time, if she was dead and in one of the Seven Hells for the actions of her brother Viserys. She had endured many hardships since being introduce to her future husband Khal Drogo and each new hardship became worse with each passing moment. First, the marriage to Khal Drogo was not what she would call wonderful, at least first. Over time, Daenerys grew to love him along with the people in his horde.

Only for Viserys to be insulting, belittling her, hitting her, and trying to use Daenerys to get what he wanted the entire time. And not just her, but Khal Drogo, his horde, the very Dothraki culture itself. Fortunately, Viserys found his ability to torment Daenerys to get what he wanted had vanished when she stood up to him. Not to mention the men in the horde, who were all loyal to Khal Drogo, would not allow him to her Daenerys in the first place.

This leading up to Viserys dying a painful death after calling his sister a whore, slut, and putting the point tip of his sword to the belly of Daenerys where the future son of Khal Drogo slumbered. Naturally, Khal Drogo did not take too kindly to Viserys threatening his unborn son and Heir, who if the prophecy rang true, would be the Khal of Khals and would one day mount the world.

So Khal Drogo had him killed in a violent display worthy of any Khal by pouring hot and melted gold on Viserys with his head sporting the "golden crown" the Targaryen Prince had been promised.

Then came the attempt assassination attempt by the man who tried to poison her on the command of the Usurper, Robert Baratheon. It was thanks to Ser Jorah that such a plan had failed with the assassin being turned to a slave, stripped of clothing, pride, and his very life for the attempt on her life.

It would have been more merciful to have the assassin's head cleaved from his body. But Daenerys knew her husband well enough by that point to know anyone who crossed him would not be given a clean death.

Violence was the Dothraki way when dealing with enemies, assassins, and treason from within a Khal's own ranks.

Which was what happened with the latter of the three when one of Khal Drogo's blood riders felt Drogo was getting soft due to his wife's actions. They fought and naturally, Khal Drogo won the death match with only a single wound to his chest.

Daenerys didn't know her act of mercy or that one wound would bring about so many poor things to befall her soon after. One of the woman she had taken pity on was a witch who used blood magic to cripple her husband. Even worse, she tricked Daenerys to use additional blood magic to "heal" Drogo, but the end result was putting him a catatonic state, and losing their child at the same time as result.

When Daenerys demanded why the witch did what she did after saving the elderly woman from being raped by Drogo's men, the witch simply said it was to prevent the legacy of such a cruel man from existing. It didn't matter to the witch if Daenerys had saved her from being violated. What did matter was Khal Drogo's bloodline ended with him and the stillborn son to punish them for sacking her village.

In retaliation, Daenerys would ensure the woman suffered for this betrayal by burning her alive next to Drogo's form. The witch was defiant, stating she wouldn't scream out in pain from this, but Daenerys knew she would scream.

All screamed when touched by the power of fire.

And the end result? Drogo dead. The witch was dead. But Daenerys herself? She was _alive_! Alive and holding three born dragon babies. Each one of them now her children. Each one born from fire, ash, and her very blood.

They were without question...her children.

Unfortunately, with Khal Drogo's death came the loss of most of the horde with few staying behind to witness Daenerys being "reborn" from the flame with her dragons. So with what people she had left, Daenerys traveled further East to the Red Wastes, hoping to find food, water, and shelter for her small Khalasar.

Only to find none.

Even her most trusted advisor, Ser Jorah, had been unable to provide little comfort in this situation since the man had never been this far into the land that was Essos. Fortunately, he knew of the places, and the people who did live this far.

"Are you certain Ser Jorah?" asked Daenerys with the knight in question nodding.

"Yes Khaleesi. If we are to survive past the Red Wastes and not become part of it, the city of Qarth is the only chance for us," said Ser Jorah.

"Will they meet with us?" asked Daenerys while she and her Khalasar were headed in that direction.

"They might. Especially if they hear a Dothraki Horde is heading toward them with three dragons," said Ser Jorah with Daenerys looking back at her "horde".

It was mostly women and children, but a few good warriors among them. Not enough to bring the fear to the leaders of Qarth. But maybe enough to be granted an audience with them.

Something she needed. One chance to gain access to the inside of the city in order to receive food, drink, and a soft bed to sleep in for the night.

As they walked through the Red Wastes toward Qarth, the sky above them became dark and stormy. Lightning flashed through the sky, winds picked up, and howled in an almost unnatural way with Daenerys taking several steps back with her Khalasar doing the same. Worry and fear filled their faces when the storm intensified, sending out flashes of what they considered unusual lightning that was a sinister orange color with one particular bolt of energy hitting the ground.

And yet, just as the violent storm came with a massive roar, it left in a whimper with the skies clearing as if what they just saw never happened. Curiosity getting the best of her, Daenerys walked to where the lightning struck the ground, barely hearing the warning from Ser Jorah to be careful.

And what she saw surprised her.

A young man with smoky gray hair, wearing a strange gray and black uniform of some kind was on the ground. His face had a gray mask covering half of his face, but it was clear the man belonged to something secretive.

"Careful Khaleesi. He is dangerous," warned Ser Jorah while his hand was on his sword and staring at the man with concern.

"How do you know? Do you know him?" asked Daenerys while Ser Jorah walked in front of her.

"I don't know him personally, but I know the clan he represents. The Lin Kuei," replied Ser Jorah with Daenerys looking shocked.

"The Lin Kuei? As is the assassin clan back in Westeros? The same one led by the man you called the Grandmaster?" asked Daenerys while wondering if this man was here to assassinate her, but was caught in that horrible storm.

"The very same. I met the man on many occasions. His uniform is similar to this one with color being the only real difference," said Ser Jorah while eyeing the downed man with extreme caution.

"A high ranking assassin among the Lin Kuei perhaps. Given how the Usurper wishes me dead, it would be within his power to hire the Lin Kuei for such a job. After the last one failed to kill me, it only stands to reason a more skilled assassin come to killing someone like myself," said Daenerys while Ser Jorah was slightly more skeptical.

"Maybe Khaleesi. But I find it odd for one of them to be here in the middle of the Red Wastes without food, water, or some form of shelter to keep the environment from killing him. Not to mention the storm just now. It was not natural. Storms do not manifest in the Red Wastes. Not now. Not ever," said Ser Jorah before the man on the ground stirred.

"Where...Where am I? Who are you?" asked the raspy voice of the man on the ground and tried to stand.

"You are in the land of Essos. At the moment, we are in the desert area called the Red Wastes," answered Ser Jorah while the man frowned and looked at his surroundings in surprise and confusion.

"Essos? Red Wastes? Never heard of them," said the man before he turned to face Ser Jorah and Daenerys.

"I am surprised the Grandmaster would send such an experience member of the Lin Kuei here to kill me," accused Daenerys with the warrior looking shocked.

"Grandmaster? The Lin Kuei? They are here? Who is the Grandmaster? Surely its not Sektor?" asked the figure with Ser Jorah frowning.

"No. The Grandmaster is Kuai Liang. He also goes by another name by some due to his powers and abilities over ice," said Ser Jorah with the man in front of him looking even more surprised.

"Kuai Liang? Sub-Zero? He's the Grandmaster now?" asked the figure with Ser Jorah nodding.

"So you know him? You are Lin Kuei?" asked Daenerys with the figure nodding.

"I was once part of the Lin Kuei. I haven't been one for...some time. But to hear Sub-Zero is now the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei is good news indeed. Better him over that fool Sektor," said the figure with a bit of anger in his voice.

"How did you get here?" asked Daenerys while the figure ran a hand through his gray hair.

"I don't know. I was...engaged in combat. I was...fighting Raiden in one on one combat and the next...I find myself here," said the figure while Ser Jorah and Daenerys looked confused.

"Who is Raiden?" asked Daenerys while the figure looked back at them in confusion.

"He the Thunder God and God Protector of Earthrealm. Or at least...he _was_ its protector until certain events corrupted him. Now he's all war mongering and filled with paranoia," answered the figure with Daenerys and Ser Jorah looking skeptical.

"You fought a God? A God made of lightning?" asked Daenerys while wondering if the man in front of her had lost his mind.

"An _angry_ God made of lightning. I had heard rumors how he fought Sub-Zero years ago, only for my old friend to vanish somehow during the fighting. He must have ended up here in your realm. Far away from Raiden's influence and wrath. It is the only thing I can think of that explains how my old friend can still be alive," answered the figure with Ser Jorah turning to talk to Daenerys in secret.

"I think he is telling the truth Khaleesi," said Ser Jorah with Daenerys looking surprised by how the knight accepted the stranger's words.

"How can you be sure Ser Jorah?" asked Daenerys curiously in a whisper.

"This man's story while far fetched, does make some sense from what I heard about how the Grandmaster's suddenly appeared in the North during your Father's time as King. It was said the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei was found at Winterfell after a sudden storm appeared and left," whispered Ser Jorah while Daenerys was still unsure.

"Even still, the man said he fought a God. A God made of lightning. Have you ever heard of this Raiden?" questioned Daenerys with Ser Jorah shaking his head.

"No. But considering the unnatural storm that occurred just now and finding him, there must be some truth to his words," whispered Ser Jorah while Daenerys looked unsure.

"Can we trust him?" asked Daenerys while Ser Jorah seemed to be weighing things in his mind.

"If he is a friend of the Grandmaster, I would say yes. Having such an ally might help us gain the Lin Kuei as an ally in the future," whispered Ser Jorah with Daenerys thinking it over.

"We are traveling to the city of Qarth. We would like to enlist your services in protecting us. Do you accept?" offered Daenerys with the figure thinking it over.

"Considering I am in a foreign land with no way back to my realm and my old friend is somewhere in this one, why not. Besides, if you have some idea of the Lin Kuei and my old friend Sub-Zero, it must means he's had success in rebuilding it," said the man while Ser Jorah nodded while Daenerys remained unreadable.

"What is your name?" asked Daenerys at last.

"My name is Tomas Vrbada, but my Lin Kuei name when among the clan is Smoke, at your service," said Smoke before he gave the woman a bow.

"Smoke? How did you get that name from the Lin Kuei?" asked Ser Jorah with Smoke smiling behind his mask.

"Because of my skills with smoke that I produce from my body," said Smoke before he vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared several feet away before coming back in another puff of smoke.

"Impressive," said Ser Jorah with Smoke nodding.

"That's minor compared to some of my other abilities I can use with my powers when necessary," replied Smoke with Daenerys giving him a smile.

"Powers which we might need should the rulers of Qarth refuse to help us," commented Daenerys with Ser Jorah nodding in agreement and Smoke smirking once more behind his mask.

"If they are stupid enough refuse, I will remind them that where there is smoke, there is fire," said Smoke with Daenerys smiling further.

"Where there is smoke, there is fire _and_ blood," corrected Daenerys with Smoke letting out a chuckle.

He was beginning to like this woman.

(City of Qarth-Sometime Later)

As expected, Daenerys was met by the Thirteen, who ruled the city of Qarth equally in a Council where the majority in a vote got what they wanted. Of course, most of the votes made were unanimous when a decision was ever made on an issue so there was little in terms of disagreements among the group. Each member of the Thirteen were all well dressed men, jewels on their hands, neck, ears, and other parts of their body to show the wealth all of them possessed.

Smoke found them looking more flamboyant over being considered powerful. They were acting like exotic animals in a zoo, showing off their "unique" colors so everyone would admire and be envious of them.

He also felt they were incredibly rude and arrogant when meeting Daenerys for the first time and only seemed to be interested in meeting her rumored dragons. As if those three were the only thing of value she possessed within her Khalasar.

Still, seeing a Lin Kuei warrior with Daenerys did give them pause, which told Smoke they had heard of the Lin Kuei, and whatever stories about the clan since Sub-Zero was able to successfully rebuild it. Smoke would have to get in contact with his old friend in the future and hopefully speak to him on civil terms about to find out what happened to the cryomancer during the encounter with Raiden.

"Where I come from, guests are treated with respect and not insulted at the gates," said Daenerys while dealing with the Spice King, who had basically called her a liar (reading between the line of their conversation) when she didn't want to show him her dragons.

She wasn't a fool. She knew the moment the Spice King saw them up close, he would either grab one to hold it hostage or signal some men in hiding to ambush them to take what little she had by force. Ser Jorah had taught her that much when dealing with the Thirteen of Qarth and Smoke had even advised her never to reveal too much to people she did not know or else it would be taken from her in a backstabbing sneak attack.

"Then perhaps you should return and go back to where you came from. We wish you well on your journey," said the Spice King with an arrogant smile before turning around and walking away.

"What are you doing? You promised to receive me at your city upon my arrival," said a confused Daenerys while Smoke narrowed his eyes at the Spice King.

"And we did. Here you are. Here we are," answered the Spice King with his arrogant smile not leaving him.

"Meaning you twist the words of the arrangement to suit your needs. Not your guests. If this was a massive horde you would be more welcoming," commented Smoke with his eyes narrowing at the Spice King.

"But she doesn't have one. And just because a Lin Kuei warrior travels with her doesn't mean we should be any more accommodating to her," said the Spice King.

"Perhaps the Thirteen would be more receptive in letting the Khaleesi's horde into Qarth if they were suddenly reduced to twelve," commented Smoke while the Spice King face now had a scowl instead of a smirk.

"And threatening one of the Thirteen will only leave this horde to rot outside our walls with none of us here losing a good night's sleep over it," said the Spice King before he began walking away from them.

Only to find Smoke had manifested himself in front of him and grabbing the Spice King by the throat before squeezing it...hard!

"And I won't lose a night's sleep in crushing your fat throat where you stand," said Smoke while glaring into the eyes of the now frightened Spice King.

"W-Wait! Wait! Perhaps I-I was...too hasty in my assessment of the Khaleesi's small, yet no less impressive horde," pleaded the Spice King while Smoke didn't look convinced.

"I hate it when people lie to my face and beg for mercy when they would be gloating if positions were reversed. I can see into your soul. If she were all alone with just those three dragons, you would have her locked away in some room. You would personally ensure she was violated until a child was produced to be an heir made to control those three dragons as they grew," said Smoke while easily reading the man in front of him as a fat lecherous pig who saw women as tools and means to pleasure himself while he basked in his vast wealth.

As for the Spice King, he tried to struggle to get out the iron grip of the Lin Kuei warrior while making a wheezing sound with his ability to breathe being greatly diminished.

"Smoke, we need him alive. We can't afford to have them attack or leave us here to die," said Daenerys despite hearing what Smoke was saying and had a feeling his words were in fact true.

"There is no need for additional violence my friends. We will let you into our great city without further issue," said Xaro Xhoan Daxos, who came to them with a gentle smile while walking toward them.

"W-What?!" demanded/asked the Spice King while he struggled to breathe and glared at the tall dark skinned man like he had betrayed their most ancient traditions.

"The other Thirteen and myself feel they have mistreated this situation poorly. As such, we wish to make amends for it. I personally make this blood oath before you, Daenerys Targaryen, and state that you along with your Khalasar are most welcome where within our great city," said Xaro Xhoan Daxos before taking a blade and cutting his palm with it.

"You can't do this! As one of the Thirteen, we must all agree to let her in regardless of the blood oath made. I do not agree!" exclaimed the Spice King before Smoke's grip on his throat tightened.

"You have two choices fat man. Either you agree to let us in, or I snap your neck and the we go in anyway with the consent of the remaining twelve," threatened Smoke with the Spice now doing his best to nod before the hand on his throat finally released itself.

"We thank you for your hospitality," said Daenerys with a smile on her face before she along with the others behind her walked toward the city and ignored the gasping form of the Spice King on the ground.

And the hateful glare sent her way along with one aimed that the Lin Kuei warrior now walking by the Targaryen woman's side.

"Be mindful when here Lady Targaryen. You are a traveler in an unknown part of land and anyone here could be your friend or foe," whispered Smoke while Daenerys giving him a smirk.

"Does that include you?" asked Daenerys while Smoke let out a chuckle.

"Hardly. I am in the same boat as you right now. The only difference is that I have been trained to see who would be my enemy or friend," answered Smoke while Daenerys just nodded.

"I could use a good teacher in that field. Would you consider taking me on as a student in the art of seeing such deception?" asked Daenerys with Smoke glancing at her.

"I haven't had the chance to teach anyone," commented Smoke.

"That's okay. I never had someone around to teach me," countered Daenerys with Smoke let out a chuckle.

"It is said when the student is ready, the Master will appear. Time to see if those words ring true," said Smoke since he would find it interesting to see how things played out.

(Westeros-Lannister Camp)

Jamie was escorted to his Father's tent to see what the old lion wanted to see him about and was shocked how the older man looked absolutely furious upon entering. With a few strides toward his son, Tywin backhanded the boy in the face and caused him to stumble back, almost out of the tent itself. It was only because Tywin grabbed his son's armor plating and pulling him deeper into the tent that such an embarrassing thing didn't happen to Jamie.

"I never thought you could disappoint me in such a manner as you have now after my talk with Ned Stark in King's Landing," growled Tywin with Jamie looking stunned.

"You spoke with him? And he's still alive?" asked Jamie since he figured if anyone could kill a Hand and walk out of King's Landing, it would be his Father.

"I did and yes my son, Ned Stark is alive. The man wished to speak to me in a civil and private setting about what he has uncovered during his time in the city. At first, I thought about killing him in the Tower of the Hand, but considering how polite Lord Stark was about things, I decided to hear what he had to say. And he had quite a lot to say about certain things. About Jon Arryn. About Lord Baelish. About _you and Cersei_!" answered Tywin while his tone of voice on the seriousness of things increased by the time he had arrived at the last sentence.

"And you believed him?" asked Jamie with Tywin snarling slightly.

"Considering the evidence in front of me at the time when Ned Stark and I talked, it was difficult not to believe it. I didn't _want_ to believe it. Part of me wanted to refute it. Part of me wanted to strangle Ned Stark right there on the spot for even saying what he said to me about you and Cersei," answered Tywin furiously.

"And yet here you are," said Jamie with Tywin's glare increasing.

"And here I am. Furious at you. Furious at Cersei. Furious at how my legacy is a mere breath away from being a total failure. It is bad enough that I find out you had such a vile incestuous relationship with your sister, but to have _three_ _children_ with her in the process is beyond the most horrifying thing that could happen to House Lannister," stated Tywin before shoving his son deeper into the tent.

"Surely you don't believe that Northern fool. There is no proof," said Jamie while trying to create doubt in his Father's accusations.

"Do you think I am fool? That I didn't have doubts when Ned Stark told me what his time in King's Landing uncovered? Unfortunately, my doubts left me when Ned Stark easily explained how the very proof of his claims was in Cersei's children. Proof in the book of House Lineages showing Robert having a strong seed to show his traits were dominant in any children he had above all other traits. The proof in Robert's long line of bastards he sired since his marriage to Cersei. Additional proof came from my own Maester, who has told me in detail about bloodlines, and how three blonde haired green eyed children could only be possible if both parents have the same traits!" exclaimed Tywin angrily and was so close to yelling at this point that he was sure people would have heard him if they were not sent away when Jamie first entered the tent.

"So Ned Stark knows. And yet no ravens have been sent out to smear House Lannister. It is clear that Ned Stark still fears our House too much to reveal it to the Seven Kingdoms. I say we kill him and the secret with dies with the man," said Jamie like it was the most clear cut answer and path for them to take.

"Do you think he is the only one who knows? What about those who conspired with you and Cersei to kill Jon Arryn? Even if you kill Ned Stark, it doesn't mean there won't be rumors? The people who conspired against Jon Arryn and Ned Stark to aid you will still know and keep it over your heads unless you do what they say," said Tywin to remind the younger man there were too many loose ends to tie up.

"And we will kill them too. And as for the people, you said it yourself. They are all mere sheep. The Lion does not care what the sheep think about us and our actions," countered Jamie with Tywin glaring at him.

"But other lions do. Other lions and those loyal to those lions do. Your actions risk the destruction of our House and it being mocked for countless generations to come if this comes to light," countered Tywin with Jamie looking frustrated.

"What would you have me do? I love Cersei. She is my sister. And yet her children are mine. You may not like it, but its true. Nothing will change that," said Jamie while Tywin looked ready to punch his son in the face again.

"Your children are bastards born from incest! They have no place in House Lannister. When this is over, I am going to have them sent away," said Tywin to the shock and horror on Jamie's face.

"What? Where?" asked Jamie since they were his children and feared for their lives.

"Somewhere and some place they can't bring shame to our House. Somewhere far away from me and Westeros as a whole," said Tywin before walking away from Jamie.

"No! I won't allow it," said Jamie furiously and it made Tywin turn around.

"You won't allow it? I am your Father and Lord of Casterly Rock. I rule our House and my word is law! Your bastard children will be sent away and will never be seen again by you or Cersei so long as a I live!" stated Tywin before walking away from his enraged son.

Only to receive a sword in his back and out the front of his body.

"I guess my children won't be leaving after all," whispered Jamie with mixed emotions on this.

"You...foolish...boy. You...are no son...of mine!" gasped Tywin before Jamie pulled out his sword and the old lion fell down to the grassy floor.

Dead.

"I am your son. I have always been your son. Which is why this is the only true way I can succeed you and take my place as Lord of House Lannister," whispered Jamie while he looked down at the dead body with sadness filling his voice since he just killed his own Father.

Jamie Lannister, new Lord of House Lannister, and the Kingslayer and (now) kinslayer.

 _Lannisters do not act like fools. Your Grandfather did and look what happened to him!_

Tywin's words from Jamie's childhood echoed throughout his head, but now Lord of House Lannister couldn't think about them right now or what it meant for him. He needed to cover this up before someone came in here to spread the word about how Jamie was a kinslayer.

(King's Landing)

In the city of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, Hand of the King, Ned Stark was fairing no better. The Queen had made a move for the Iron Throne using her son and have him become King in order to instill Lannister might. Ned of course had stated Joffrey had no claim to the Iron Throne when in the middle of the throne room with City Watch around him and Petyr Baelish beside him. Ser Barristan was not around when this happened, as he had left the Kingsguard in order to lead a "quiet life of retirement", which the Queen, and the now appointed King Joffrey had granted him. Of course, Ned knew there was more to it, as the two men had spoke several days following Robert's death, and how the future of the Seven Kingdoms was at stake.

Ser Barristan knew he could not serve another cruel King. He had served one already for most of his young life and the rest into his soon to be elderly years serving a drunken one. His hopes and dreams of serving a King worthy of the Iron Throne once the Mad King no longer lived had ended at the Trident when Robert killed Rheagar Targaryen in battle.

Or so he thought.

Ser Barristan always had an eye for talent. His old eyes were still sharp just like how his skills with a sword were unmatched, even now. When Jon Stark had come to the city, the Kingsguard member saw the similarities between the young man and Rheagar Targaryen. So much that Ser Barristan wondered and looked over everything he knew of Ned Stark and what happened during Robert's Rebellion within his mind.

And concluded Jon Stark was not Ned Stark's recently legitimized son. But was in fact Rheagar's own son.

 _Jon is Rheagar's son, isn't he? The rightful Heir to the Iron Throne._

Ned Stark's nod of confirmation somehow manage to light a fire within Ser Barristan that day. A fire that had dulled over time from his service to the Mad King and serving Robert Baratheon when the man ruled for nearly two decades. Now it was back like never before and feeling a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the Gods and the spirit of Rheagar himself.

But being part of the Kingsguard was now preventing him from doing what he could not do years ago. Hence why he requested leave from the Kingsguard, citing old age finally caching up him. Joffrey nor Cersei batted an eyelash or questioned his need for leaving the Kingsguard. Cersei thought he was too old and would eventually be unable to protect her son in the future. Why risk it? Joffrey thought the same way since he didn't want an old feeble man trying to protect him when Ser Barristan couldn't protect his Father from a boar when out hunting.

With his position in the Kingsguard removed, Ser Barristan had left the Capital to catch up with young Jon Stark, who had left the city with the other Stark bannermen, and Lord Stark's daughters. He would need to speak to the boy and to the Grandmaster on what the future held for the Seven Kingdoms.

Not realizing the parchment Ned Stark had given him before his departure would be key in the removal of the false King Joffrey Baratheon.

Ned Stark was fine with that. What he wasn't fine with right now was the City Watch had turned on him and Petyr Baelish had a certain knife to his throat.

"I told you not to trust me," said Petyr with a smug look on his face.

"I never did trust you Lord Baelish. Did you think I don't know what you did? How you helped kill Jon Arryn? Who helped you do it? Your pawn in the Vale has been caught and removed. I made sure your actions were known to all of the High Lords of the Seven Kingdoms. No one will protect you outside of this city Lord Baelish. You are alone," said Ned with a small smile of his own with Petyr snarling slightly in rage.

"I should kill you right here for that," said Petyr while pressing the dagger closer to Ned's throat.

"You think I'm afraid to die Lord Baelish? Go ahead. Kill me. It makes no difference. My wife already knows what you did. If you think she will ever love you after today, you are clearly not of sound mind," said Ned while Petyr was incredibly tempted to slit the man's throat, but stayed decided to stay his hand knowing the newly appointed King Joffrey and Queen Regent Cersei would need him alive.

"We'll see how confident you are after spending some time in the Black Cells," said Petyr while he and the City Watch escorted the now former Hand of the King away.

All the while, the scheming Master of Coin never realized that his rival for Catelyn Tully had unknowingly won against his enemies. Even if the now former Hand of the King was most likely not be alive long enough to see future events unfold.

(Winterfell-Days Later)

A message from the Lin Kuei informant had discreetly sent a raven right to Winterfell knowing it would reach them within a few days following Ned Stark's imprisonment. Sure enough, once Robb Stark read it, he was furious, and it showed on his face long after passing the message around.

"They have my Father. The King is dead and the new one has my Father imprisoned for not bending the knee. It is bad enough the Lannister's are attacking my Mother's home in the Riverlands, but to take my Father prisoner, and calling him a traitor is unforgiveable. Send out ravens through the North Maester Luwin. Call the banners!" exclaimed Robb while Maester Luwin read the message.

"All of them my Lord?" asked Maester Luwin curiously.

"They swore oaths to my Father and to House Stark. Its time to see what their words are worth," replied Robb before looking down at his hands.

"Your hands are shaking," commented Theon with Robb nodding.

"I'm afraid," said Robb since only a fool would deny it while Theon nodded.

"Good. It also means you aren't being reckless or stupid. You know what has to be done and live up to your family name," replied Theon with Robb nodding knowing that would be the case here.

"I see we came back at a poor time," said Sub-Zero before walking into the main room with Catelyn Stark to hear the news of what happened to her husband.

"King Robert is dead. Joffrey has taken the Iron Throne and declared my Father a traitor before putting him in the Black Cells. Fortunately, my sisters, Stark bannermen, and Jon have all left before this happened," said Robb while handing the information to Sub-Zero, who took it with a frown on his face.

"I see. This is unfortunate. With Joffrey as King, he can essentially pardon those who had a hand in making the Seven Kingdoms destabilize and more. Still, it doesn't matter who he pardons for past crimes. My agents will see to it those criminals don't live long after today to enjoy it," said Sub-Zero knowing people like Ser Hugh, Petyr Baelish, and the others like them would soon have a blade to their throats.

"I have already called for the banners. Soon, the entire North will march to take back my Father and show this new Mad King along with the Lannisters that the North remembers their own debts," said Robb with Sub-Zero thinking things over in his mind.

"And I will help you," said Sub-Zero with Robb looking surprised.

"I thought the Lin Kuei was neutral and didn't take sides in war?" questioned Robb with Sub-Zero nodding.

"We don't. I am going to help you while the Lin Kuei itself keeps this from escalating out of control. How much did your Father instruct you from the ways I taught him?" replied Sub-Zero with Robb looking unsure.

"I was taught some of it. My Father felt as his son and Heir, I should know some of the things he learned from you," said Robb since he recalled his Father wanting to learn things as he did under the Grandmaster, but the boy's Mother had been against it for a time.

So Ned had decided to teach Robb what he could from his time learning under Sub-Zero, but the Warden of the North felt his instructions were a pale comparison to the man who taught him.

"I see. I will have to fill in the gaps as time progresses. Consider me to be an advisor and teacher in the ways of war. Something tells me you will need my assistance in the battles yet to come," said Sub-Zero before he left the room to make the necessary arrangements with his subordinates.

"Be wary of him Robb. I still don't trust him," said Cat while Robb sighed.

"Mother, he has been good to us. All of us. If it wasn't for him, my Aunt may not be alive today," countered Robb while Cat bit her lip knowing her son was right.

"I know, but I cannot help feel misgivings about a man like that living so close to us. An army could not take Winterfell. A small group of assassins might be another story," said Catelyn with worry in her voice while Robb sighed.

Robb knew his Mother was a woman who believed in traditions, loyalty, and oaths being honored no matter what. She was also raised to never trust assassins or sell swords since their loyalty was to whoever could pay them the most for what they did. Which was why Catelyn Tully Stark kept her children as far away from the Lin Kuei as she possibly could in order to protect them from such people or life.

But even still, Robb would have thought after all this time, his Mother would have come to terms in trusting the Grandmaster after everything he had done for them.

(Lannister Camp-Sometime Later)

Tyrion was very surprised when entering the main war camp of House Lannister and the mood was melancholy at best. Of course when arriving with Bronn to main war tent, he soon found out why with Jamie there along with Uncle Kevan, and other various Lords loyal to House Lannister.

"Jamie, this is a surprise. I was expecting Father here leading the army," said Tyrion with Jamie looking surprisingly serious while the other Lords looked grim.

"He did lead the army here for a time after hearing of your apparent kidnapping from the Starks. I'm now in charge," said Jamie while glancing at the other Lords and his Uncle.

"Oh? What happened to Father? Has he become ill?" asked Tyrion while everyone was looking uncomfortable at the question.

"He's dead," said Kevan at last while glancing over at Jamie with a "I know you killed him" look, but refused to say anything.

"Dead? Father? That is a...surprise. How did it happen?" asked Tyrion since he always felt that his Father would be too stubborn to die and would outlive all his children.

"We don't know. He just suddenly died, in his sleep no less," said Jamie while glancing at the others in the room to make sure none of them told Tyrion the truth.

They all suspected Jamie had killed his own Father. They weren't stupid in believing the great Tywin Lannister would die from a mere illness. Kevan had confronted his nephew soon after it was announced and demanded the truth. So Jamie gave it to him. Cold and hard like his Father would in his place. Jamie told Kevan that the old lion had been killed by his own two hands over a disagreement and unless Kevan wanted to join his brother, he would keep his mouth shut on the subject. Of course, the other Lords in the camp who that served House Lannister also put things together just as fast as Kevan did.

And again, Jamie reminded each of them of what would happen if they spoke the truth to anyone of how the old lion met his end.

"Well, I guess that makes my brother the new Lord of House Lannister. Congratulations to you Jamie," said Tyrion since his brother had done things that would get him kicked out of the Kingsguard at this point.

"That is still in question. Unless, Jamie has been officially let go from the Kingsguard by the King," said Kevan while Jamie glared at his uncle.

"I'm sure at this point, my actions have automatically kicked me out of that group along with all the obligations required to honor it," replied Jamie calmly.

"Still, until it is made official by King Robert, I could still claim the right to be the Lord of House Lannister," countered Tyrion with a smirk on his face.

"And lead this army against House Tully? House Stark? I doubt you want that kind of responsibility Tyrion," said Jamie with Tyrion grimaced since it was clear his brother would do that to him, if only to see the younger Lannister fail.

"Why are we at war with House Tully and House Stark by extension? Surely its not all over me?" asked Tyrion with Jamie looking extremely serious.

"At first, it was about you. But recent events have changed things," said Jamie since he had gotten word of his (secret) son becoming King and there was a question of the young boy's parentage with others possibly being able to claim the Iron Throne for themselves.

He had to fight them off to ensure Joffrey or maybe Tommen, depending on how things played out, was ruling over the Seven Kingdoms. Or what was left of them when this was over.

 _I have told you multiple times Lannisters do not act like fools. You want to say something clever? Go ahead. Say something clever and impress me._

The words of Tywin Lannister echoing in the back Jamie's mind once more and the man had to hold back the wince felt from it.

"House Baratheon claims our House had a hand in the late King Robert's death, if not the death of the previous Hand of the King, Jon Arryn. Now with Ned Stark imprisoned, it will only make our position weakened as a result," said Kevan while glancing at Jamie.

"King Robert is dead? That means Joffrey is ruling. But to imprison Ned Stark? This will not end well with the North," said Tyrion with Kevan nodding since he was glad one of his brother's children understood this.

"Robb Stark marched South with an impressive host of 22,000 men at his back. No doubt to rescue his Father before the new King has him executed," said Kevan with worry since Northern men were much better fighters over that of Lannister men despite there being more Lannister men.

"I met Ned Stark's boy when I was in Winterfell. He's a green boy. He doesn't know what its like to kill someone. Run a sword through their guts and spill blood. One sight of the horror we will unleash on his forces will make him run away with his little dire wolf tail between his legs," said Jamie confidently.

"Not when the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei is with him," countered Kevan with many in the war tent looking increasingly nervous.

"The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei is siding with Robb Stark?" asked Tyrion with Kevan nodding while Jamie shrugged it off since he was a seasons warrior and learned much from his time under Sub-Zero.

"From what we have learned form our spies, the Grandmaster has decided to become an advisor and teacher to the young wolf pup. To help him become his own man and leader of the North in the event Ned Stark is killed. Fortunately, the Lin Kuei as a whole have been given orders to stay out of the overall fighting and stick to protecting the smallfolk from harm in all of this," said Kevan while Jamie scoffed.

"You might find that refreshing uncle, but it doesn't stop them from spying on us in order to give the North an edge," said Jamie with Kevan grimacing since that was true.

"Or a blade to a couple of throats. Sub-Zero might see a chance to help the North achieve victory by sending some members of his clan to kill certain people if it means weakening our position," said Tyrion with Jamie wincing since he was sure one of those blades to the throat would be aimed at him.

"In any case, the new King will need advice on how to handle things. With Ned Stark removed as Hand of the King, a new one needs to replace him. Which is why Tyrion will go and advise Joffrey since Father is unable to do it for obvious reasons," said Jamie to the shock of Tyrion himself.

"Why me? Surely there is someone more qualified? Uncle Kevan perhaps?" asked Tyrion with Jamie shaking his head.

"Face it little brother, you are the brains of our House. The one who gives sound advice when everyone else doesn't. Besides, I have to lead this army against the North and the Riverlands. I can't be two places at once and Uncle Kevan is needed to hear to help me fight the enemy army," said Jamie while Tyrion grimaced.

'No you can't. But if you could, I imagine you would be fighting the North and fucking our sister at the same time,' thought Tyrion since he was well aware of his sibling affair they had with each other, but kept his mouth shut over it.

Saying anything would have been met with the wrath of those in his family who wouldn't believe him and those in his family who would silence him for revealing it.

(King's Landing-Black Cells)

"It truly pains me to see you like this my friend," said Varys sadly while Ned Stark was in the Black Cells waiting for Joffrey to kill him.

"If it truly pains you to see me like this, why not free me? Surely you have the means and the power to do so?" questioned Ned while Varys giving him a nod.

"Could I get you out of here? Yes, I could. Could I use my knowledge of the castle to get you on a small ship and smuggle you out of King's Landing? Yes, I could. Will I? No. I will not," answered Varys while Ned looked at him through the light from the torch the Spider held in his hand.

"Because the false King commands it," surmised Ned knowing the Spider could not defy the one sitting on the Iron Throne or he would lose his head.

"No my friend. Because the Seven Kingdoms commands it. Do you think I enjoy seeing you like this? After what happened to your Father? Your brother? Hearing the screams they let out when dying on the Mad King's orders? I was there. I heard it all. I remember it all. The screams. The flames. The heat. The smoke and the ash that followed. If I freed you now, everyone would know it was me regardless if it could be proven or not. You think Joffrey is going to excuse something like that? Or his Mother? They would sooner kill me and deal with the loss of my spy network by temporarily employing someone like Lord Baelish to fill the void. And we both know a man of his talents and ambition holds no real loyalty to the Crown. In fact, Lord Baelish would use his new found position to elevate himself closer to the Iron Throne before claiming it for himself," said Varys with Ned grimacing.

"Are my children and Jon safe? Did they get out alive?" asked Ned with Varys nodding.

"They did get out safely. Much to Cersei and Joffrey's displeasure of course. Cersei for not having something to hold over you to ensure obedience and Joffrey to further torture for his own pleasure knowing you could do nothing to stop him," answered Varys with Ned sighing.

"I don't suppose I will even get a trial in regards to the charges against me? Or a chance at winning my freedom through Trial by Combat?" asked Ned knowing it was his only real chance for freedom.

Not that he expected Joffrey to honor it if he won.

"No on both counts my friend. From what I learned at the last Small Council meeting, the new King, through his own Mother's insistence, plans for you to confess your 'treasonous crimes' against the Crown and the late King Robert on the Sept of Baelor. Following said confession, you will take the Black and join the Night's Watch to serve there until the end of your days," said Varys while Ned laughed.

"Me? Confess to crimes I didn't do? Against Robert? Never," replied Ned firmly and he knew Varys heard it in his voice.

"I know such a confession goes against your honor and those who know you would not do such a thing. But not everyone knows you Lord Stark. Not everyone will believe your confession will be false. The Lannister wish to drag your reputation and honor along with that of your House through the mud. To cut off any support you could gain through the smallfolk," said Varys with Ned nodding.

"Anything else I should know?" asked Ned with Varys hesitating for a second.

"There is one more piece of information you should know, which I must admit came to me unexpectedly. Its in regards to Tywin Lannister," said Varys in a grim tone.

"What? Has the old lion decided to do more damage despite it being for dishonorable reasons?" asked Ned with Varys shaking his head.

"No. He's dead. Killed by his son Jamie," replied Varys with Ned looking shocked and disgusted by the young Lannister's actions.

"Let me guess, a sword through the back," commented Ned with Varys surprising him a bit by nodding.

"Yes actually. It seems Jamie has quite the talent when it comes to killing people in that manner," replied Varys with Ned gritting his teeth.

"And the Lords of the West are following Jamie now? Surely they would have abandoned him once they discovered the truth?" questioned Ned with Varys shaking his head.

"Fear of Tywin Lannister made them bend the knee. His son has brought about an even greater fear to obey him. After all, if Jamie Lannister could kill his already feared Father, what could Jamie Lannister do to them if they don't follow him? As I'm sure you know Lord Stark, fear is a powerful weapon to use over others. Tywin Lannister had long since mastered the skill and Jamie has only just realized its use. Time will determine if he has the means to control people through fear or if the Lords of the Westernlands will cast said fear aside to rebel against him," said Varys with Ned sighing.

"Regardless, Joffrey's rule won't last long. Even if Joffrey kills me. My wife is safe. My children are safe. Jon is safe. I have no problem leaving this world. I am soldier. I grew up with soldiers. Fighting beside soldiers. I have no intention of bending the knee to this false King," said Ned with Varys sighing.

"And people say the members of House Tully are a stubborn lot. I would think you of all of people would be afraid to die for defying a King just like your Father and brother did would deter you from such things Lord Stark," said Varys while Ned let out a cruel laugh.

"Afraid? You think I am afraid to die? To die like my Father and my brother before me when they came to King's Landing to face the Mad King? Both men were burned alive and screamed as they did, but they still face their death with honor and courage worthy of a Stark. I will not dishonor them or my House by running away from my destiny, if this is to be my end," said Ned while Varys giving a gentle smile.

"Hopefully, the Stranger will not come for you as it did them Lord Stark. Naturally, I will try to delay your impending 'confession' and any other cruel event Joffrey has planned at bay. Though my efforts will only last for so long," said Varys before he left the former Hand of the King in the Black Cells.

"If death is my destiny, may the Gods make it swift and merciful," whispered Ned while he closing his eyes and silently prayed they would hear his request.

(Red Keep-Throne Room-Sometime Later)

"Well Lord Stark? Are you going to confess your crimes of treason against the crown and to your King? Perhaps if you show remorse, I will let you live out your days at the Wall," said Joffrey while Ned Stark was on his knees, dirtied, bruised, and in pain.

But not beaten.

 _If you are going to fight...win!_

Ned heard his Father's words. To keep out of trouble and not fight unless necessary. And even when it came to fighting, he should do everything in his power to win.

And Ned Stark intended to win, even if it resulted in his death.

"I will confess nothing! Except I know you are not Robert's son. You are a bastard born of incest. Your Father is the Kingslayer Jamie Lannister! And I will never call you my King," replied Ned while Joffrey looked enraged at his words.

Beside him, Cersei looked equally enraged at hearing this since the woman wanted that kept a secret, which was why news of Lord Stark's family not being in King's Landing enraged her further. A means of using the Sansa or the little beast Arya against Ned Stark to make him confess would have been beneficial to making it happen. Unfortunately, she had neither of the two girls or that boy Jon to use as leverage.

Which meant Ned Stark had nothing to lose in speaking such things out loud for all of the Royal Court to hear. Not that it mattered since Joffrey was now King and all the soldiers here were Lannister men added to a well paid City Watch, and the Kingsguard itself. The people here would do whatever Joffrey and she by extension wishes while being led by the nose hairs.

Besides, she was a lioness. From a House of lions. She cared nothing for the people who were the sheep Cersei considered to be beneath her.

"Lies! I will have you whipped for this outrage before having your head put on a pike!" exclaimed Joffrey angrily while Ned grinned.

"He who passes the sentence swings the sword. A weak child such as yourself has neither the strength nor the will to do it himself. Instead, you send others to do it for you...like a coward!" exclaimed Ned while Joffrey looked even more enraged.

"You will pay for this Lord Stark. I was going to be merciful and let you live your life at the Wall, but now I see mercy is for the weak and whiny women of the world. Ser Ilyn Payne, bring me his head!" commanded Joffrey angrily while the King's Justice took out a sword and readied himself to take Lord Stark's head.

Joffrey would have preferred to use House Stark's prized sword Ice, if only to add insult to lethal injury, but sadly the weapon was not with the former Hand of the King or in the Tower of the Hand after it was searched. Unknown to Joffrey, it was with Jon/Aegon, who had been given instructions by Ned to bring it back home to the North and to give it to Robb to one day wield as the Lord of Winterfell.

"Anything to say before your end Lord Stark? Some final words for us to remember you by?" asked Cersei with a smug smile on her face.

And for a moment Ned thought about anything else he wished to say to the Lannisters on the Iron Throne. One last thing to say that might haunt them at night in their beds, in their dreams, and make the loyalty of their so called allies be shaken.

 _If you do meet your end at the hands of the enemy, never let them enjoy it. If given the chance, tell them something that will haunt their minds for months, years, even decades. Something that will haunt them in their eating or sleeping. Something that will allow a sliver of fear to fester and grow within their mind to the point where they cannot think properly. To the point where they make noticeable mistakes during their daily routine._

Those has been Sub-Zero's words during a strategy teaching lesson. A lesson where even in death or defeat during a battle, victory on a small scale could still occur without the enemy knowning.

"I do actually have one final thing to say, but I doubt you would want to hear it," replied Ned with Joffrey and Cersei frowning at him.

"And what would that be Lord Stark?" asked Cersei while Joffrey was waiting with some impatience to see the man before him die.

 _If you are going to fight...win!_

"Only this one simple fact I know to be true...Rheagar Targaryen's one true born son _lives_!" exclaimed Ned Stark for all in the throne room to hear and stared right into Joffrey's and Cersei's now shocked eyes.

"Impossible! Gregor Clegane killed that Dornish whore's baby child before she was saved by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster," said Cersei while not believing that the Martell whore had somehow managed to hide the baby Gregor Clegane killed all those years ago.

However, Ned Stark's smirking face and the fact he was looking her right in the eyes had caused a sliver of doubt to rise up in the back of her mind. Added that said smirk said "I win" despite his situation only made it grow.

"Enough of this! Kill him!" commanded Joffrey to the King's Justice with Illyn Payne raising his sword to take Ned Stark's head.

But not before Ned Stark got the last word while looking Cersei and Joffrey right in the eyes when he did.

"Valar morghulis," said Ned Stark before the sword came down on his head at the neck with the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North's life ending.

However, the action itself did not have the intended effect of making both Cersei and her son Joffrey happy in the slightest. His last choice words echoing in their mind and what it could mean if what Ned Stark told them was true.

Varys was silent on the matter, his face grim from what he saw just now. The memory of the Mad King burning innocent people and two Stark Lords roughly 20 years ago came to the forefront of his mind. Near him, the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish, smiled happily at the sight of Ned Stark dying, and believed his enemy for Catelyn Tully's love had been removed.

With his beloved Catelyn was now a widow, he could make his move to claim her love for himself by convincing the woman they were meant to be together. And while he was doing that, any children she had with Ned Stark would meet untimely "accidents". Petyr knew how Catelyn thought and knew he could manipulate the situation to convince her to be with him to replace the children she lost during this time when tension, if not all out war started.

Varys saw Petyr's smile and inwardly knew if the man wasn't going to be killed before today, he would soon in the near future. Petyr had committed horrible crimes against the Crown and House Stark. If the Lin Kuei weren't going to dispose of the man for planning the death of Jon Arryn, they would certainly dispose of Baelish for this.

'Valar dohaeris,' thought Varys grimly while watching the body of Ned Stark, the now late Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North being dragged away.

No doubt to be further desecrated to amuse Joffrey at a later time. Provided the Lin Kuei didn't retrieve it before the new Mad King could enjoy things further.

"Spider! I am in need of your services," commented Joffrey with Varys walking toward him before bowing.

"And what can this humble man do for you, your Grace?" asked Varys while Joffrey had a cruel smile and snarl mixed all in one on his face.

"The Lin Kuei. They have agents within King's Landing, don't they?" asked Joffrey with Varys nodding.

"I believe they do your Grace. One does not build such an impressive clan of assassins without having agents throughout the Seven Kingdoms to provide them work," replied Varys with Joffrey nodding as if he understood.

"Could you find them? All of them? With your little birds?" asked Joffrey with Varys pretending to think about if it was possible for his little birds to outsmart the Lin Kuei.

"It _might_ be possible your Grace. My little birds can get in almost anywhere, but the Lin Kuei have made it their business to keep themselves invisible to the point where not even whispers are heard of them. Their Grandmaster trained them to be almost as silent as the Stranger himself," answered Varys with Joffrey looking slightly annoyed by his answer.

"So that is a no," remarked Joffrey with disappointment laced in his voice.

"If the Spider is unable to handle the task I am sure my own spies can handle it," offered Petyr Baelish while Joffrey focused on him.

"I think you should refrain from trusting Lord Baelish on this issue your Grace. The man is already been implicated in the murder of the late Hand of the King Jon Arryn, who as you know, was your Father's own foster Father. One should not rely on a man who has murdered someone your own Father loved deeply," said Varys while Petyr Baelish gave him a mild glare.

"Perhaps, but Jon Arryn was a weak and sickly old man. He was not long for this world. One could argue Lord Baelish merely...helped Lord Arryn meet the Seven early," offered Cersei while Joffrey grinned at that particular excuse.

"I agree. Besides, I think if Lord Baelish wishes to earn my favor and forgiveness for his past crimes, he should earn it. What better way by using his own spy network to help in the hunting down of all Lin Kuei agents here in the city for us," said Joffrey with Lord Baelish smiling and bowing humbly before the King.

"Your wish is my command your Grace," said Lord Baelish while Varys did not feel the man was up to the task of hunting down a clan that were ghosts to all who knew of them.

If anything, Varys believed the Master of Coin just put a giant target on his back for the Lin Kuei to run a sword through.

(Essos- City of Qarth)

"So even a person's 'body language' can indicate if they are lying?" asked Daenerys while Smoke sat with her while they ate a meal together.

Under Jorah Mormont's supervision of course.

"Body language, the speech pattern in one's voice, and the eyes can reveal deception. If the person is nervous or under pressure, the eyes may waiver, or the pitch in the voice may change. Someone with a stronger mind will speak vaguely, but truthfully, yet will omit certain truths to keep you in the dark. As long as these truths are not revealed or admitted during a conversation, it is not a lie," explained Smoke while Daenerys nodding in understanding.

"So when I am talking to people, I should be mindful of how others interact with me so I can get a hint into their true nature or intentions," replied Daenerys since she saw it was a good skill to know given how a lot of people deceive each other.

"Exactly. The person you do business with may seem friendly, but at the same time, they might have a hidden agenda behind gaining your favor. Perhaps they seek to gain your trust in order to lay a trap from which your enemies will easily benefit from your capture or even death," said Smoke while Daenerys sighed sadly since the world seemed to be filled those easily willing to betray her or others for profit.

"The way you make it sound, I shouldn't trust anybody or risk being captured or killed by my enemies," commented Daenerys with Smoke shaking his head.

"Not necessarily. Trust is easy to destroy, but takes time to build. To truly trust someone, you must both experience different things like pain and even hardship. To believe in the same things as you do. It can be challenging and even treacherous at times since there is always a chance of someone you trust switching sides. But those who have truly earned your trust will follow you no matter the situation because they believe you and what you are doing," explained Smoke while Daenerys accepting his answer.

"I don't even know what I am doing anymore. Or what I want anymore," said Daenerys with uncertainty.

"You said your House ruled over the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros and wished to reclaim your birthright from those who rebelled against it," said Smoke with Daenerys nodding.

"I will be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms," replied Daenerys with Smoke nodding.

"A strong and ambitious goal. To make it happen, you will need several things to make your dream a reality," said Smoke with Daenerys nodding.

"And what are these things I need?" asked Daenerys curiously.

"For one, you need a army. One that is loyal to you and isn't afraid of the odds not being in their favor when it comes to fighting your enemies. Two, you need smart advisors who you can trust to give sound advice on different subject matters. Three, you need support from the very people you seek to rule," said Smoke while raising a ringer for each thing the woman needed to rule as Queen.

"According to Ser Jorah, I can easily get an army here in Essos. As for having advisors, I am being advised by you and him. I already have the people of Westeros awaiting for my return in secret," said Daenerys with Smoke looking unconvinced.

"According to who? Your late brother? The people who spoke honey filled words into his ear? They told him only what he wanted to hear and the fool told it to you in the belief it would be true one way or another. Nothing more. Nothing less," said Smoke while seeing Daenerys now looking slightly angry, yet disheartened by his words.

"And yet they chose to help us," said Daenerys with Smoke shaking his head.

"They chose to help your brother because they expected him to reward them for their so called loyalty. But what did they truly give you? A place to stay for a week or two. Food. Soft bed. These men who supposedly supported your brother to reclaim the Iron Throne have an abundance of wealth. Overflowing in gold, jewels, and other forms of currency with contacts covering the known world, correct? So why give you a fraction of such wealth when each of them could easily give you a sizable chunk that wealth to be used overtime to fund your ambition?" said Smoke while Daenerys grimaced and couldn't deny his words.

She had seen some extremely wealthy men here in Essos. Each of them had large fancy homes, servants waiting on them hand and foot, and the best food your stomach could want. And what did these people do with her and Viserys? Let them stay a week or two. Talked to Viserys most of the time about his desire to return to Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne from the Usurper. But within that time span, the generous hospitality these people showed them slowly dwindled to the point where leaving was welcomed by all.

Daenerys suspected Viserys and his constant inability to impress their so called "friends" had something to do with it. Viserys didn't know who to trust. Didn't know how to act in front of people. He didn't know anything. These wealthy and well connected "friends" clearly saw this and made up their own minds on whether to support House Targaryen's return to power.

And because of Viserys, they saw House Targaryen as a shadow of its former self. They saw no hope of it rising from near extinction and one by one they discreetly removed the two Targaryens from their presence to be given to someone else.

Until there were no more "friends" left and resulted in the last two Targaryens to perish one way or another.

"They were testing my brother to see if he was worth investing time and effort into his ambition to return home. He failed their test," surmised Daenerys with Smoke nodding.

"From what you told me about him, yes. He said and did all the wrong things. His last real attempt was with your late husband Khal Drogo and we both know how that turned out from what Ser Jorah mentioned of him," answered Smoke with Daenerys wincing at the mention of her late husband.

"But you think I could reclaim Westeros? The Seven Kingdoms?" asked Daenerys with Smoke shrugging.

"Anything is possible. I have seen many things in my life. I have fought Gods, demons, sorcerers, and served just as many. I have crossed between life and death itself before I was fortunate enough to be among the land of the living once more. So anything is truly possible if certain events play out and the right people are around to help make it happen. No one person can become anything without help or support from others. You want to become Queen? You need help and support from advisors and an army at your back to make it happen. Just heading back to Westeros and walking into King's Landing while saying, 'I am Daenerys of House Targaryen and I am your Queen' is not enough. In fact, many would most likely put you to the sword just so they could appease those ruling there right now," said Smoke while Daenerys thinking his words over.

"Given the situation I am in right now, how should I proceed?" asked Daenerys with Smoke sighed.

"Given your current situation? You need resources. You need wealth. From what I can see from my short time in Essos, wealth in general is considered power. The more you have, the more you can spend on people to obey your every command. Unfortunately, you do not have wealth. At least, not in the monetary sense. Your wealth is in the form of your three dragons. That alone makes you wealthy due to the extreme rarity dragons are in the known world, but they also make you a target for those want them. And I imagine _a lot_ of people want them," said Smoke while eyeing the three dragons surrounding their Mother while she pet and fed them.

"No one will take my dragons. I won't let them," said Daenerys firmly while Smoke let out a sigh.

"They are young. Weak. If they were bigger, stronger, and could launch massive streams of fire, things would be different. But you are in a place where stealing wealth from those who have is as common as the desert outside these city walls. People see what I see. They see three small, developing, and healthy yet weak dragons all ripe for the taking. All to do whatever they want once in their possession. My advice to you Daenerys Targaryen, is to leave this place before those seeking to claim these three dragons are ready to make their move," advised Smoke since he knew their loving hosts here in Qarth would not be so loving in the future if they were the ambitious schemers he knew half of them were.

"How much time do I have before they act?" asked Daenerys with Smoke frowning.

"Hard to say. But I imagine it will take a week, if not two for them to strike. Kidnapping a baby dragon, much less three requires careful planning. Not to mention a place to hold them needs to be arranged beforehand. Until that point, Ser Jorah and myself will seek to gain access to a ship, a decent crew, and another place where you can advance your plan to taking back the Iron Throne," said Smoke with Daenerys merely nodding and politely dismissed the man, who nodded before vanishing in a sudden abrupt form of smoke.

"I still don't trust him Khaleesi," commented Ser Jorah while Daenerys smiling slightly.

"And I don't trust anyone. Not yet," replied Daenerys while Jorah flinched since he was not exactly honest with her about his own spying on her for the Crown.

"How can I truly earn your trust Khaleesi?" asked Ser Jorah curiously.

"Get me a ship with a trustworthy Captain. One that can take me to a place where I can get an army," commanded Daenerys with Jorah nodding and setting out to do just that.

The former Heir to House Mormont already had a destination in mind. Getting a ship with a trustworthy crew was another matter entirely.

(A/N: YAY! Another long chapter. Yes, Ned Stark died. And not in public. The reason Joffrey did that in the show was to taint Ned's honor and House's credibility. But he could only do that with Sansa having a sword to her throat. Without leverage, both Joffrey and Cersei couldn't risk a public display of the desired effect the "confession" was meant to have the way they wanted it.


End file.
